Darkness is a Funny Thing, It Creeps Up in You
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: My own take on the Queens of Darkness arc, and is set between my Frozen arc and Camelot arc stories... Everything I Do, I Do It For You, and Quelling My Bloodlust. Gold brings the surviving Queens of Darkness together again so he can get back into Storybrooke to get his revenge. However, the heroes fight back against the villains to keep them from taking away their happy endings.
1. Chapter 1

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter One

In Storybrooke…

After staying in their small, yet beautiful town for several weeks longer than she intended to thanks to the Snow Queen's arrival and havoc, and then wanting to stay in order to make sure that the man who had quickly and easily become a dear friend of hers was finally going to be all right again after all that Mr. Gold had done to him, Ruby walked alongside her grandmother down to the harbor arm in arm as she prepared herself to say her goodbyes to Granny and all of their closest friends before leaving on her long journey at long last.

In between listening to Granny ask her question after question just to make sure her granddaughter had everything she needed, Ruby's mind wandered back to the night she had run freely in her wolf form with her mother's wolf pack so many years ago, and she couldn't help but smile since it was the first time she had felt truly free to be who she really was.

_Once __nighttime had fallen over the forest and the full moon shined beyond the clouds in the sky, the wolves of the den where the pack lived to keep hidden from the humans, transformed into their wolf states, then swiftly began to run through the woods as a pack with Ruby now among them, but not before Anita had spoken to her daughter serenely saying, "It'll be like nothing you've ever felt before… The pine needles underfoot, the air rushing over your fur, your brothers and sisters at your side. Your mind won't want to believe it. It will tell you a wolf is invading your body, trying to take over, and if you believe that for even a moment, you'll black out… and lose control. Like you have every other night you've turned. But… if you give in to the wolf, you'll realize the truth. You are the wolf. And when you accept that, you will finally be in control."_

_ When Ruby had awakened later that night back inside the den, then stood up once again within her human form, she remembered finding herself surrounded by Anita and the rest of the pack, then her mother gently questioned her, "How much do you remember?"_

_ "All of it," Red replied to her, then exhaled upon feeling relief unlike she had ever felt before._

_ "You finally became the wolf," her mother proudly responded._

_ Red then smiled at Anita while she said with confidence, "I don't have to be afraid anymore."_

However, one of the few fond memories Ruby had of her mother and of being with Anita's pack for that brief time didn't stay long inside of her head, as she couldn't stop from falling back to the tragic moment of her mother's death, when Ruby fearfully remembered her mother pushing her away after she had knelt down over Anita in an effort to try to help her upon Anita becoming impaled during their brief fight to protect Snow from Anita killing her.

_Later that same night, Red and the others had been asleep inside the den until they were suddenly awakened by a sound, then the newest of the pack questioned worryingly, "What is it?"_

_ "Hunters," Quinn darkly answered her, as everyone swiftly moved to a hiding position while an intruder could be heard slowly walking down the stairs, before Quinn then ambushed the invader, only for Red to be shocked upon discovering it was her dearest friend, Snow White and Red quickly protested Snow's apprehension._

_ "No!" Red had cried fearfully as she immediately ran out from behind the curtains she had hid behind moments ago to stop Quinn from hurting her friend. "Don't! She's not here to hurt us!"_

_ However, Quinn didn't let the intruder go, as his grip around Snow's throat only tightened while he replied coldly, "What other reason do humans have for entering our den?"_

_ Red struggled to pull him away from her while she pleaded, "She's a friend. Who stood by me after she learned the truth… after I killed. Without her, I never would've escaped my village alive!"_

_ "Let her go," Anita commanded at last once she too came out from hiding, then walked towards her daughter and the woman Red said to be her friend._

_ "Oh… I'm sorry Snow!" Red had cried out after Snow had suddenly collapsed and struggled to breathe once Quinn finally released her and allowed her to fall to floor, then she knelt down beside her friend to help her._

_ When the Princess could speak again, she looked at Red with concern for her in her eyes while she responded apprehensively, "When you didn't show up at the stream this morning, I thought the Queen's men had killed you."_

_ Snow then rose back to her feet as she looked nervously around at those Red was currently staying with and asked, "So… Who are your friends?"_

_ "We're her pack," Quinn sternly answered her._

_ "Are they…?" her friend uneasily questioned once more._

_ Red kept her eyes on Snow with assurance in her eyes as she replied, "Yes. They're like me. But you don't have to fear them."_

_ Without really believing it, Snow quickly stated, "Of course not."_

_ "How did you find us?" Anita then demanded of the invader._

_ "I tracked wolf prints here… like you taught me," she responded as she first looked at the pack's leader, then again at her friend._

_ Red spoke to her again with concern saying, "You could've been caught by the Queen's men."_

_ Snow immediately whispered back, "I wasn't going to leave without you. Why don't we go find that cabin we talked about, okay?"_

_ She started to leave while she tried to pull Red along with her until she felt her friend's resistance, so she turned back around to look at her once more and when it dawned on her why Red wasn't following her, she asked sadly, "You're not coming with me, are you?"_

_ "I don't have to be ashamed of who I am here," the girl who was newest to the pack sadly answered her, and then chuckled as she looked back towards Anita. "I found my home. I found my mother."_

_ "But I thought…" Snow started to ask again until Red swiftly cut her off._

_ "Granny lied," she crossly retorted in anger towards her grandmother for lying to her all this time. "I'm sorry, Snow. I know you risked your life to come back here for me."_

_ Snow shook her head as she replied, "No. I understand. I would do anything to be with my mother again."_

_ Red continued sadly, "I know we planned on leaving the kingdom together…"_

_ "I'll be alright," the Princess finally assured her, then pulled her friend close so she could hug her. "You've taught me enough already. I'll manage. Bye, Red. Thank you."_

_ "No, thank you," the younger woman responded again, until all of a sudden, an arrow swiftly flew through the air and immediately struck Quinn in the chest as Red's newest friend collapsed to the ground and struggled to breathe through the pain from being shot._

_ The pack's leader firmly cried out, "Quinn!"_

_ When the Evil Queen's Black Knights then appeared among them upon walking down into the den, Snow stared at them fearfully as she whispered to Red, "They found me."_

_ "Stand down or die at the hands of the…" one of the soldiers started to demand, until he was swiftly attacked by Anita who charged him as she easily snapped his neck, when all the rest of the wolves then attacked the Queen's guards to kill them as well before any more of their kind could be killed like Quinn had been, and Red knelt down to tend to her friend who lay dying._

_ "Quinn… no!" she pleaded once Quinn drew his last breath, then fell limp. "He's gone."_

_ After the threats to her wolf pack were taken care of, __Anita walked over to kneel down next to Quinn's body and closed his eyes with her hand, then tenderly caressed his cheek while she whispered, "May you always run free beneath the moon's pale light."_

_ Snow White sadly looked down upon them as she apologized remorsefully, "Red, I'm so sorry."_

_ "You," Anita then stated angrily, as she looked up coldly at the Princess still standing among them. "You did this."_

_ "What?" Snow uttered in shock at the woman's sudden accusation as Anita and Red both rose back to their feet to face the first of the intruders. "No."_

_ Red's mother continued harshly, "You brought the Queen's men into our den."_

_ The innocent woman answered pleadingly, "You have to believe me. I had no idea they followed me."_

_ "Mother, she didn't," Red swiftly defended her friend._

_ "It doesn't matter," Anita brusquely replied again, not willing to listen to the intruder's excuse or even her daughter's plea. "Wherever humans go, death follows. The only way to stop them… is to kill them first."_

_ Two of the wolves suddenly grabbed Snow White in order to bind her as the pack's leader then commanded, "Tie her up."_

_ Snow fearfully cried out, "No!"_

_ "When the moon rises, we'll feast on a princess," Anita said cruelly._

_ "What are you doing?" her daughter worryingly asked of her mother._

_ Anita's cold eyes remained on the Princess as she responded darkly, "She'll pay for the life that we lost."_

_ However, Red continued to plead with her as she said apprehensively, "Mother, you're not making any sense."_

_ "You already made your choice, Red," her mother coldly answered her and then made her demands known. "You're one of us now. Act like it. Kill her."_

_ "No," Red then steadfastly replied against her mother's wishes. "I won't kill my friend."_

_ Feeling disappointed by her daughter's decision, Anita glared at her as she responded bitterly, "Then I will."_

_ Anita moved around Red as she started towards Snow whose wrists were now bound while she stood with her back against one of the den's stone columns, until Red immediately cried out again, "No. Mother, stop!"_

_ "Sorry, my daughter," the older woman crossly answered her as she turned back once more to face her daughter again. "This is what it means to be a wolf."_

_ "Please…" Snow White pleaded and whimpered in fear as she watched Anita transform into her wolf form and slowly approach her with darkness and a hungry look in her eyes, while the wolf growled at her prey, then she screamed out when the wolf attacked._

_ However, in the moment that Anita charged Snow, Red who had also swiftly transformed into her wolf form, suddenly attacked Anita first in order to protect her friend and then upon hearing a whimper immediately after they struck one another and began to fight, the Princess fearfully cried out for her, "Red!"_

_ Snow quickly walked around the other columns standing between her and her friend, as well as Anita just in time to witness Red's mother transform back into a human after she had become impaled by the spike from the fireplace now protruding out of her chest after she had fought with her daughter. Snow then grabbed hold of Red's hood and threw it over her so that it would revert her back into her human state._

_ Then, upon falling into shock over what had happened, Red fearfully approached her mother now lying wounded on the floor before her while she cried and pleaded, "I didn't mean to. I'm… I'm sorry, mother."_

_ "You chose her," Anita weakly, yet cruelly replied, as she pushed her daughter away from her as much as she could in order to keep Red from trying to help her._

_ "No," Red at last defended herself with the strength she couldn't show within herself to her mother before, despite continuing to cry over her as she was forced to watch her die. "I chose me. I'm not a killer."_

At last, Ruby felt her grandmother's hand tighten over her own, then once she broke free from her thoughts as she raised her head so she could look into the old woman's eyes and saw the gentleness within them, she knew that Granny had sensed her uneasiness and lovingly squeezed her hand to offer her granddaughter comfort.

Granny then spoke softly saying, "A penny for your thoughts? If you're worried about me once you're gone, don't be. You know darn well I can handle myself just fine against any trouble that might arise next."

Ruby smiled sadly as she responded assuredly, "I'm not worried about you, Granny. I mean… of course I am, but… Well, that's not what I was thinking about just now. I'm wondering… Am I really doing the right thing? I want to go. More than anything I've ever wanted to do in my life. I'm going to miss you like crazy, as well as everyone else here. But I have to do this. I have to find myself again and I can't do that here, as much as I wish I could stay. I'm lost here, Granny. I have been ever since we've come back from the Enchanted Forest in Snow's curse she cast to bring us all back here. I've realized since then that I need to find my pack in order to find out if I belong with them. I have to know and yet, I'm also scared. The last time I was among the pack… my mother died. They won't just accept me as one of them like they did back then. Or… what if there's something else out there, and it's just waiting for me to find it? What if there's someone else?"

"You're doing the right thing, Red," Granny finally answered her granddaughter. "You're right that there's nothing more for you here in Storybrooke. I had hoped you would take over my diner for me when I finally retire. And maybe one day, you still will if you come back to stay once you've found what you've been searching for. But more than anything… I want you to be happy. And I know you. You're not happy here anymore. And I sure as hell won't hold you back any longer."

"You've never held me back, Granny," Red sincerely replied, as she gripped her grandmother's hand tighter to comfort her like she had done for her moments ago as they at last arrived on the docks within the harbor where their friends were already waiting for them despite the earliness of the morning. "Even when I thought you were holding me back, both when we were all still trapped under Regina's curse and shortly afterwards, you were only trying to protect me. Thank you for being so understanding now. I am going to miss you. So much."

She then turned to Mary Margaret when her closest friend approached her as the Princess responded sadly, "Just promise me that you will find some way of letting us all know that you're safe wherever you find yourself after you leave us."

Ruby moved away from her grandmother and then immediately embraced her friend tightly before she finally turned to the rest of those who also came out so they could wish her well on her journey. David, Emma, Killian, Henry, Archie, Grumpy, and all the rest of the dwarfs as well.

As she then began to hug each of them, Ruby spoke again sadly saying, "I'm really going to miss all of you. I don't know what I would have done were it not for each of you helping me in one way or another. David… you helped me to see that I wasn't a monster back when King George tried to turn everyone in this town against me in order to turn them all against you too. I almost completely lost myself to the wolf inside of me. Snow… you've done the same for me too. You were the only one who protected me other than Granny, even though you saw all those men I killed before I knew I was the wolf. Even after you saw I had killed… Peter."

Ruby continued to speak with each one of her friends when she embraced them, and thanked them all for helping her in some way or another while she said her goodbyes. Emma and Killian were the last among them and when she pulled Killian close to hug him, she moved a little too quickly and embraced him too tightly, unwillingly causing him to wince as he stumbled and let out a sudden gasp when pain in his side flared up again where he had been impaled by the metal railing weeks earlier because of Gold.

"Oh… I'm so sorry!" she fearfully apologized as she quickly backed away from him enough to give him some space, but stayed close enough to help him while Emma also immediately moved close to him out of worry so she could keep him from collapsing. "I didn't mean to… Are you okay?"

In spite of still feeling the lingering pain, Killian lied to the young woman wearing her long red cloak, in order to help Ruby feel less guilty for hurting him as he answered softly, "I'm fine, love. It's nothing. I'm mostly healed. I scarcely remember the wound's still there."

"You're sweet to try to make me feel better," she kindly replied, then backed away even further so that only Emma remained with him. "Thank you both. For helping me to realize that I need to leave Storybrooke so I can find my happy ending. You've been such good friends. I'm happy you've found one another too."

"Thank you," the Savior sincerely responded to her, then Ruby pulled out the magic bean Tiny had given to her awhile back so she could open up a portal that would soon take her back to the Enchanted Forest. "Be safe out there. Wherever you wind up."

"And have hope," Snow quickly added, as her friend smiled at her, then looked over at her grandmother once more before she suddenly embraced her one last time. "You will find what you're looking for, Ruby. I know it."

After Ruby pulled away from Granny and wiped the tears from her eyes, she finally tossed the magic bean out into the ocean and watched as a glowing green portal opened up before her. She looked one last time at each of her friends who waved to her, or simply smiled at her, then without further hesitation, she jumped into the portal and vanished, leaving Storybrooke for what would come to be for many years.


	2. Chapter 2

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Two

Once those who said goodbye to Ruby left the harbor after their friend was gone, they all met back at Granny's Diner for breakfast. Granny preferred to make and keep herself busy so that she wouldn't have to think about how much she had already begun to miss her granddaughter, but more so how worried she was for Ruby being all alone in a world that could be wild and dangerous most of the time. Everyone else walked inside as most of them sat down at the tables, while Archie and Emma walked over to the bar to request drinks for everyone.

Archie ordered himself and the dwarfs coffee, and Emma asked Granny for hot cocoas with cinnamon for herself, Killian, Henry, and her parents. Then, while she waited for Granny to bring them out to her, the Savior cautiously turned around so she could observe Killian as he sat down awkwardly within one of the booths next to Henry and across from her parents who were playing with Neal in his mother's arms at the moment. As much as Killian tried to hide it, she could see he was still struggling with his pain more than he let on.

However, while she continued to study him, Emma was unexpectedly interrupted by Archie when he noticed the Savior's concern for the man he knew she loved, and upon seeing why once he saw the Captain's discomfort as well, the doctor finally spoke to her out of concern for them both.

"Killian appears to be doing a little better…" the doctor said to her quietly. "Although, I can see he's still in some pain. And he doesn't appear to be very rested. He looks tired."

"Killian isn't just suffering through his pain that I could easily heal for him if he would just let me, but he's struggling with nightmares too," she worryingly responded once she glanced over at her friend, then turned back to continue observing her pirate. "He's told me about some of them, but I'm pretty sure he isn't telling me the worst of them. He says he hasn't been sleeping well and I don't think it all comes from the pain he's been through. Or even from his guilt that I know he's also been struggling with on top of everything else. He's worried. Afraid even. About the future, I mean. And about us. He didn't really tell me as much, but somehow… I just know. I know him. Killian is a good man and a hero, Archie. And not just to me, but to a lot of others around here too. My parents and Henry included. I keep trying to remind him so, but no matter how much I try…"

Dr. Hopper cut in as he finished for her, "…he isn't able to believe it. He still blames himself for everything that's happened, especially to you because of Mr. Gold. As well as because of his past."

Emma answered him worryingly, "That's right. I don't really know how to help him more than just by being here for him and trying to reassure him we're okay, but I don't know how much he really believes that either. At the very least… I wish I could bring back Killian's ship for him. The Jolly Roger has been his home and only comfort for centuries. I know how much it meant to him. He sacrificed more than just a few planks of wood and a sail when he traded the Jolly Roger to someone for a magic bean so he could get back to me in New York. So he could save me. He also sacrificed his only real sanctuary that offered him any amount of peace. I just have no idea how, without knowing who he traded his ship to and Killian won't tell me. Whoever it was, I'm guessing it pained him to do so though. And he doesn't want me to know it. I could kill Gold for what he's done to him."

"You know what I mean," she then stated anxiously upon realizing how dark she sounded just now, as she finally turned to face Archie at last. "That bastard did a lot more that simply ripping out Killian's heart in order to control him. If you ask me, Gold got off lucky."

"I can't help but agree with you under these circumstances, even though I hate to think so badly of anyone," he regretfully responded.

The Savior turned back to Killian again as she watched him begin to show Henry a few card tricks in spite of him being one handed, yet she continued to talk with the doctor when she asked him sadly, "What do I do, Archie? How can I help him, when he won't believe me about him being the man I know him to be? How can I help him get better, knowing he won't tell me everything out of fear he's going to lose me because I might come to think he's done too much evil throughout his past for him to be worthy of my love any longer?"

At last, Archie spoke again as he answered her honestly, "Just continue to be there for him, and give him time. Be patient with him. Eventually… hopefully, he will break down his own walls he keeps in place to protect himself, much like you have built up for yourself. You know how difficult it's been for him to break them down as it is, all so he can help you. Yet Killian's done so, because he doesn't want to destroy all of his hard work in becoming the hero he is now. He's going to need you to be there for him when he does finally let you in all the way and not to judge him. As for me… Killian has come to see me a couple of times since he's been released from the hospital. Unfortunately, he hasn't shared much with me yet. He's apprehensive. He wants to talk, but he's afraid of admitting too much. Of saying the wrong thing in spite of my assurances that there's nothing wrong with admitting how he's really feeling. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to try to help him as much as my skill as a psychiatrist and as his friend will allow me to. He's going to be okay, Emma. You'll see."

"Thank you, Archie," she finally replied in sincerity as she reached out to lay her hand on top of his, just when Granny came back out from her kitchen with a tray containing the hot cocoas and handed them over to the Savior so she could bring them back with her to her loved ones, before she began to pour the coffees for Archie and the dwarfs still patiently waiting at their own table next to where the others were sitting.

In the meantime…

Over at their booth, Killian and Henry listened while Mary Margaret and David talked about some of the times they shared with Red, as well as with Granny back in the Enchanted Forest before the curse, until the Prince then got up again to got talk with Robin upon seeing him enter with Roland and Little John, as well as a few more of his Merry Men.

"Can you show me a few card tricks?" Henry then asked Hook once Mary Margaret became distracted by her baby who had quietly begun to fuss. "You know… the ones you used to cheat Black Beard and other pirates with whenever you got caught up in a game against them."

The Captain looked at the boy skeptically as he questioned, "And why is it you wish to learn how to cheat at cards? I'm not so sure your mother would approve. Either one of them actually. They certainly didn't when I taught you how to cheat with loaded dice."

The teenager shrugged, until he finally confessed as he responded, "I lost some money to a few of the Lost Boys at school when they asked me to join them in a game. I think they cheated me, but I don't know for sure. I've never been great at card games. I was hoping you could teach me to know what to look for, should I ever play anyone else. Don't worry… I won't be playing the Lost Boys again. I should have known better than to trust them."

"Aye… the Lost Boys can hardly be trusted to play fair in any game of sorts," Killian answered the boy, while he took the deck of cards Henry then handed over to him upon pulling them out from his backpack in the hope that his friend would agree to help him. "I suppose I could teach you a few tricks. So long as it's simply so you can learn what to look for in future card games so you don't ever get cheated so easily again."

"I promise," Henry quickly assured him, then watched closely as Killian began to flip a few of the cards between his fingers almost effortlessly by way of shuffling them before beginning.

Snow began to watch as well once he started to show his first trick, and then she asked him curiously, "Who taught you how to do these tricks? Or did you just come up with them yourself?"

Hook continued moving the cards around in his hand, keeping his eyes on them while he replied, "My brother Liam taught me one or two before we became soldiers within the Royal Navy. The rest I taught myself after I became a pirate so I could stay one step ahead of other pirates in case I ever had to gamble for possessions we had hoped to procure… short of simply stealing whatever it was we might have wanted."

"I'm guessing that most of them cheated in their own ways too," Emma then responded once she walked over to the table to join them, set down their drinks, and sat down within the booth next to Killian, who moved over a little in order to make more room for her. "But no doubt, you still managed to beat them at their own games."

"Sometimes… but not always," he reluctantly answered, then continued on with another of his tricks. "At least not until I came to be as good at cheating as I am now. And not just at cards, but dice and other games as well. Now… I only ever lose if it's to serve my purpose."

Later, once Killian finished showing Emma's son as many of his tricks as he was prepared to even before their food came, Henry began to practice some of what he observed from watching him, while Emma looked at Killian again and asked, "Will you be heading to the library again once we've finished eating to meet up with Belle so you can continue your search?"

At last, Granny brought their breakfast out to them with help from the new waitress she had hired a few weeks ago and who had been trained by Ruby, then Hook looked over at the woman he loved again as he nodded before he replied sternly, "I can't give up. I have to find a way to free the fairies from that bloody hat. And when I do, hopefully they can help me free the old man I trapped in there as well. Zelena too. Even she doesn't deserve such a fate."

"Of course… I understand," the Savior gently responded, as she reached out to caress his cheek upon seeing his guilt he was holding onto creep up behind his eyes, until he lowered his head to turn away from her. "If you need my help, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

"Aye, love," he answered her with a shake of his head. "But Belle and I have it well in hand. I should probably get going. She'll be meeting me there soon."

It was then that Killian stood up without hardly touching his food, and he leaned in to kiss Emma lovingly before he stood straight again so he could leave the diner. Once he was gone, she couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh out of worry for him that she still held onto despite her talk earlier with Archie.

Seeing the worry for the man Emma loved in her daughter's eyes, Mary Margaret reached across the table to take Emma's hand within her own and then she spoke to her soothingly saying, "You're gonna get through to him, Emma. And he's going to find a way to free them. I know it. Once he does, he won't feel so useless or like he's let you down so much."

The Savior raised her head so she could look at her mother, then she replied sadly, "He hasn't let me down, and I hate that there's nothing I can say or do for him. I hate feeling so useless to him right now. I'm gonna head into work. I'm not very hungry right now either."

Before Mary Margaret or Henry could protest, or urge her to stay, Emma quickly stood up and left the diner so she could walk to the sheriff's station where she could bury her worries in her job. David finally returned to the booth again shortly afterwards, then took his wife's hand to offer her comfort as she and Henry explained to him a little of why Emma and Killian were no longer there.


	3. Chapter 3

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Three

Some time ago, at the Forbidden Fortress deep within the Enchanted Forest…

_After calling the Queens of Darkness together at Maleficent's Castle, Rumplestiltskin sat before them so he could continue to discuss his plan, but before he could begin, after having told them briefly why he had brought them there moments earlier, Cruella spoke again as she questioned him snidely, "__Now then, this happy ending shenanigan you're promising us… can you really do that? Are you really that powerful?"_

_ Maleficent remained standing among them as she kept her eyes down on the Dark One while she answered her for him crossly, "Yeah, he's powerful, but not that powerful."_

_ "No one is," Ursula curtly replied in agreement with Maleficent, out of disbelief in Rumplestiltskin's ability to pull his plan off._

_ At last, the Dark One spoke as he responded to each them smugly, "Love how you underestimate me. Adorable."_

_ Cruella then asked at last, "What exactly are you offering, short stuff?"_

_ "Only the answer to all your prayers," he answered her wittingly, in his usual whimsical manner._

_ "I'm not exactly the religious sort," the woman who had a thing for fur coats and who hated all dogs retorted._

_ Rumplestiltskin quipped back, "Shocked."_

_ All of a sudden, Cruella swiftly stood from her chair and out of frustration from the Dark One mocking her as she leaned down in front of him, she replied angrily, "Look… I was quite content with my life until I received this summons, and I do not appreciate being dragged around on false promises."_

_ "Nothing false about it, dearie," the most powerful of the four villains coolly responded while he stood up with Cruella. "I know exactly what you want."_

_ "And you," he added as he looked over at Ursula and pointed in her direction, then looked to Maleficent while he pointed towards her as well. "And you."_

_ However, Maleficent questioned him skeptically, "Really?"_

_ Rumplestiltskin then stepped into the center of the room between them as he answered haughtily, "Really. But don't worry. I'm not one to betray trusts, so your secrets can remain your own. What I will share is what we all have in common… A desire for happiness. A desire to do what villains can never do. To win. And I'm here to show you how… together."_

_ "Even if we would work together, no spell known to man or woman can do what you're saying," the Queen of the castle where they were currently residing cynically replied to him once more._

_ "Of course not, dearie," the Dark One responded to her when he walked over to stand before Maleficent as well. "But we're not looking for a spell. We're looking for a curse."_

_ Then, he walked around between each one of the villainess' while he whimsically continued, "A dark curse. One that, if you help procure it, can get each and every one of you exactly what you want… Your… Happy… Ending."_

Present day, New York City…

Once the three villains left Central Park upon coming together again after it had been so long since their last encounter within the Enchanted Forest, Cruella De Vil got behind the wheel of her classic and one of a kind roadster, then started driving through the city as much like a madwoman as the city traffic allowed for her to, while Gold gave her directions to a place where they could talk freely so he could continue to explain the rest of his plan to the women who were even more skeptical of the Dark One's true motives than they were back when he first made this proposal to them so long ago.

Without saying much more about his plan, Gold's thoughts drifted back to a number of memories, one of which was when he had first brought the Queens of Darkness together to talk about seeking out their happy endings together. Unfortunately, he also couldn't help but think back to the night his wife forced him out of Storybrooke by controlling him with his dagger, but he didn't want to share more of his plan with them either, until he was ready to share it with them. Until they arrived again just outside of Storybrooke. He just needed to collect a few things before their journey to Maine.

At last, Cruella pulled over and parked outside of an old apartment building within the city, then once they entered the apartment after the villainesses followed him up, Cruella finally questioned, "What are we doing here? I thought you said we were on our way to this strange town you said was called… Storybrooke?"

"We're here… dearies, because before we head to this strange town, I need to gather a few things together," Gold sternly answered her as he walked over to the table within the kitchen area where he had set up an old computer, then sat down and began to type the keys while he kept his eyes on the computer screen. "And it appears, I've just received the email from my wife that I've been waiting for. And by the way… we're currently inside my son's old apartment where I've been staying for the last six weeks, so don't touch anything."

"An email?" Ursula frustratingly grumbled.

Without looking away from the screen, the Dark One snidely replied, "An email… is a sort of letter that is typed into what's much like a 'magic box', rather than this letter being written out with ink and a quill."

The Sea Witch glared down at him as she retorted curtly, "I know what an email is. Just as I know what your 'magic box' is. It's called a computer, and you're currently playing on the internet. Don't forget, Dark One… Cruella and I have been trapped here in this Hell of a world for even longer than you have. We know the ways of this world. What I meant was…why are you emailing your precious wife? I thought she forced you to leave?"

"I never said she was the one who kicked me out?" Gold then responded once he finally turned his head to look up at the villainesses, while they continued to stand a few feet away from him.

"You told us that these heroes you hate so much corrupted your love and turned your maid against you," Ursula cruelly taunted with a smile on her face. "I only assumed it was her who forced you to leave this Storybrooke. Either way… what could possibly be so important in this email that you need to answer it right now?"

He finally motioned for his guests to have a seat on the couch, then turned back to finish reading the email Belle had written, and began to type out his reply while he began to explain what he was doing as he answered, "I've hacked into my wife's email account, because I suspected she would want to do everything in her power to try to fix the terrible things I did before I left Storybrooke. Including wanting to find a way to free the fairies, all of which I forced Hook to help me entrap within a magic and powerful hat. Long story. Let's just say… it turns out I was right. Belle's been searching my many books for a spell to help her do so, and has finally reached out to certain linguists and professors who might be able to help her translate the passages that will reveal the spell the heroes can use to free the fairies. One of whom… is me."

Cruella sat down beside Ursula once the other villainess had done so, then turned her head to look at the Dark One again as she questioned, "How does this help us, darling?"

"It helps us, because right now no one on the outside can enter Storybrooke, as it is sealed off so that no outsider can find their way inside, mistakenly… or on purpose," Gold sternly replied to her. "It's sealed by a barrier spell that has made the town invisible and unable to be found even by me."

"Then how exactly are we supposed to get in?" Cruella curtly asked once more. "And what does this have to do with you wasting our time so you can email your precious maid?"

Simply out of annoyance, Gold continued, "Because with what I'm trying to write to her in return, is a spell that will help her to release the fairies from the hat just like she wants. But little will she and the heroes realize that the fairies aren't the only ones who will become released. Something else will also be freed from that hat. And that something else… will give the heroes reason to let you and Ursula here into Storybrooke just like we want. Because you two will give them the answer on how to defeat the demon. You ought to remember facing it before with Maleficent… the Chernabog."

_Cruella let out a sigh of frustration and then she asked again snidely, "So why should I think this new plan will work when all the others have failed?"_

_ "Our failures in the past have been for one reason…" the Dark One coldly responded to her. "The odds were stacked against us. Now we're gonna change the odds."_

_ "With this Author you keep babbling on about," the Sea Witch coldly uttered with a roll of her eyes in disbelief._

_ He ignored her skepticism as Gold answered, "His book harnesses a great power. One that exceeds anything we've ever experienced, giving villains and heroes what he deems just desserts. Our collective frustrations? They're because of his will, not our missteps."_

_ Cruella looked over at him out of curiosity as he explained and then she shrugged while she replied, "Well, I suppose that's better than blaming bad judgment and gin."_

"Much better," Ursula stated in agreement, then questioned Gold once more. "Do you know where we can find him?"

_"I'm fairly certain this Author's in Storybrooke," the Dark One darkly responded. "And if we want to enlist his help, we have to get there before the heroes do."_


	4. Chapter 4

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Four

Upon leaving the diner, Killian made his way down the streets until he reached the library just as Belle had arrived as well, and had already begun to unlock its doors. She smiled at him in greeting while Killian chivalrously held open the door for the beauty to walk inside in front of him, then they worked to set things up so they could continue their research that they had started working on together not too long after Killian had been released from the hospital. She was as eager to free the fairies as Killian was because they were her friends. However, it was more for her than that too. Belle wished to help Killian to free them, as well as the old man and the Wicked Witch because she understood how much righting his wrongs meant to him. She knew as well as Emma and everyone else did that he wasn't really to blame for trapping the fairies, and she knew better than anyone just how manipulative her husband could be. So she didn't blame Killian for trapping the old man or Zelena inside the hat either.

They barely spoke to one another while they worked, as Belle typed out in her emails she sent out to those she hoped could help her, the words from the spells she had found within a number of the books not just from the library, but from those she had collected from Gold's shop as well. In the meantime, Killian finally finished putting together a collection of their research up on a bulletin board, then took a few steps back so he could carefully study all that they've collected so far in the hope that an answer would jump out at him. Unfortunately, nothing did after awhile and it wasn't long before his frustration eventually got the better of him, when Killian suddenly lashed out as he swung his hook to knock the board off its stand keeping it upright and onto the floor, before he finally let out a long frustrated sigh, then raised his hand to place his fingers over the bridge of his nose upon feeling a headache rising within the forefront of his head.

Belle looked over at him in concern after he had done so and saw the frustration and despair on his face until he finally bent down to pick the board up from the floor so he could put it back on top of the stand. She was frustrated as well, but Killian needed to hear comforting words, and not words that were meant to scold him for allowing his anger to come through.

"Are you all right?" the beauty gently asked him within a few moments once she cleared her throat so as to not startle him when she spoke to him at last.

_"__Six weeks and nothing," the Captain brusquely retorted, immediately regretting having snapped at her and sounding so ungrateful since all she was trying to do was help him and offer him a little comfort, and yet he couldn't let go of his disappointment just yet. "They're still trapped inside that bloody hat."_

_ Belle nodded in understanding and then she replied assuredly, "Look… we just have to keep at it, okay? But we will find a spell to release the fairies. I mean… these translations are difficult, but I've reached out to some of the finest minds in the world, and one of them will get back to us. I know it."_

_ Killian finally turned his head towards her and the computer she was working at as he answered her out of disbelief, "If we're reduced to those magic boxes, then I'd say hope is in short supply."_

_ "They, uh... call it the internet," she sternly responded as she tapped her hand against the top of the computer in order to clarify for him what the machine actually was, given that he was still new to the technologies of this world. "And it can help us. And once we get the fairies out of the hat, they can help us release everyone else, including that poor old man that you put in there."_

"I'm so sorry," Belle immediately apologized upon recognizing the blame towards him that came across in her words just then. "I didn't mean…"

_However, he didn't appear to have heard her at all, as Killian regretfully continued, "All because I let myself be tricked by that Crocodile. How could I have been so weak?"_

_ When the beauty walked out from behind the desk as she began to push a cart full of books towards the book cases to put away now that they were no longer useful to them, she felt her own remorse rise up within her as well, for allowing Rumple to get away with all he did for so long and for being blind to his deceptions, so she softly replied, "Well… We both were. You know, Rumplestiltskin got the best of us."_

_ "And you're right," she continued on, as Killian finally looked at her upon hearing her and seeing the sadness she felt, then started walking towards her as he listened. "You… You should've been stronger, but you weren't. And… Well, neither was I. You know, I… I should've seen through him."_

_ "You were blinded by love," he sadly answered her with understanding, in hope of offering her a little comfort as she was trying to do for him. "What was my excuse?"_

_ Belle kept working to put the books away even though she turned her attention to him while she responded, "Probably the same… just for someone else."_

_ The pirate began to help her put the books on the shelves as he responded, "Well, he's right about one thing… Love is a weapon, as dangerous and persuasive as magic."_

_ "Yeah," she sternly replied after she inhaled deeply and let her breath out. "Yeah. He had both of our hearts."_

_ "Hey… As big a bastard as he was, he did love you," Killian tenderly answered her once more._

_ The beauty's voice broke and tears began to fall from her eyes as she despairingly responded, "And, uh… now he's gone from our lives forever. Yeah, I… I just… I uh… I just hope he's found whatever it is he's looking for."_

Without saying another word to one another for the moment, Killian simply continued to help Belle with the books, until Archie walked into the library carrying his umbrella in his hands and started walking towards his friends, but stopped upon seeing the bulletin board covered with all their research, then began to study it.

Belle set down the books in her hands and made her way over to the doctor when he turned to look at her once she approached him as he said, "I was told you would both be here continuing your work in finding a way to free the fairies from that hat Gold possessed. I wanted to offer my help."

"I'm not really sure what you can do right now," the beauty replied, then turned her head around to see that Killian continued working instead of joining her and Dr. Hopper, and appeared to be focusing solely on his work in order to avoid talking with the man of conscience.

"Actually… you could help me try to offer Killian a little peace of mind," she then whispered to her friend so that the pirate Captain couldn't hear them talking about him. "I've been trying, but so far I haven't done much for him. He's really been more of a comfort to me than I've been for him. He's hurting, Archie. And I know Emma's been helping him as much as she can too, but…"

Archie nodded in understanding and then he answered, "I know he's struggling. That's really why I'm here. I've seen the guilt that's been bothering him ever since everything that happened between him and Mr. Gold. I was at Granny's with him and Emma, and the others before we both came over here. I told Emma I would continue to try to talk to him again. If he'll let me."

While still working in the book cases, Killian nearly finished replacing the last of the books, until all of a sudden, he doubled over in pain upon reaching too high in order to put one of the books back on the top shelf where it belonged, then cursed at himself for letting a cry escape his lips when Belle and Archie immediately rushed over to help him.

He looked between them sternly, then turned away while he uttered weakly, "I assure you… I'm fine."

"Killian?" the beauty spoke his name out of concern once he started walking back over to the bulletin board in an effort to continue ignoring them, sensing their worry for him and not wanting to deal with it just then. "I really wish you wouldn't continue pretending like everything's fine. Just as I'm sure Emma wishes you would tell her everything as well."

"Please… just don't," Hook curtly retorted before she or Archie could say more. "I know you mean well, but don't bring Emma's wishes for me into this. Believe me… I know. And I've been trying. It's just… I'm not good at sharing what I'm feeling with anyone, especially because most people here don't treat me as they should. You all should be angry with me after all I've done. But you're not. You've all been nothing but forgiving and kind, especially Emma and I don't… I don't understand it. I don't deserve to be comforted, or to feel better. At least not until I can make things right."

Upon finally understanding, Archie spoke again calmly saying, "So that's why you're having trouble allowing Emma or anyone else to get close to you right now. It's why you're refusing to allow her or even Regina to heal what's left of your wounds so that you'll finally be back to your old self. But Killian… there's no good reason why you have to go on suffering in such pain like you are. We're here for you because we care about you. I know forgiveness isn't something that comes easy for you, but…"

Before the doctor could go on any further, Killian abruptly interrupted, "There's a very good reason, Cricket. Believe me… a part of me wants to tell Emma everything. I want to let her in and to allow her to finish healing me. Especially this wound left behind because of the bloody Crocodile…"

"I'm so sorry, Belle," he then sincerely apologized to the beauty after he swiftly cut himself off to avoid hurting her further. "I don't mean to curse him, especially in front of you."

"It's okay," she responded to him in understanding and then smiled. "You don't have to apologize. Please go on. Don't stop talking now."

Killian walked over the desk where the computer was stored and leaned up against it while he crossed his arms, then finally he continued softly, "For as long as I can remember, I've kept certain… things, that serve to me as a reminder of something important. In fact… most of the few possessions I've kept over the years are reminders. My hook… the Jolly Roger, which I'm no longer in possession of, of course… my rings… numerous scars…"

While she and Archie continue to look upon him sadly, Belle replied, "And now you wish for these remaining wounds of yours to become added to the rest of your scars? So they can serve as a reminder? Of what? Why do you need them to remind you of anything? From the exhaustion we can all see on your face and in your eyes, not to mention the guilt you're failing miserably to keep hidden from everyone, especially Emma… it's obvious you're having no trouble forgetting that terrible night six weeks ago. Why feel the need to suffer needlessly, when the nightmares I'm sure you're being plagued by when you sleep are already doing so for you just fine?"

"Because it's no less than I deserve," Killian reluctantly answered her after a few moments, without looking back at her and Archie as he kept his head down on his hand. "It's like I've been saying. These wounds… this wound Gold forced upon me, as well as the lingering pain around my heart… I betrayed Emma. Gold may not have given me a choice when I was forced to do his bidding in some things, but he was only able to rip out my heart, because I allowed for him to do so when I gave him reason. I never should have gone to him in the first place. I thought… I thought that Emma deserved better. She deserves a man who can hold her with two hands, not just one and an ugly stump left behind, or a cursed hook that has been bloodied over and over after causing nothing but the murder of hundreds of innocent people in my many years as Captain Hook."

"The Snow Queen got into your head," Archie assuredly responded to him once more when he finally spoke again. "She's apparently still very much inside your head. She has made you feel like you're less of a man, especially one who is unworthy of Emma. And Gold… he only continued to feed on your fear until you self destructed. But Emma understands all that, and she's forgiven you because you feel remorse and you're doing everything you can to make things right. Just as we all have forgiven you. Because you're a good man, who loves her with your whole heart. That's now void of the blackness put there by your past sins by the way. I saw so that night."

Killian shook his head in disbelief, then he replied again sadly, "The blackness may be gone, but it still doesn't change all the bad I've done. For Gold, and otherwise. Especially those things beyond me being forced to do for him while in control of my heart. The old man… even Zelena… They're all trapped inside the bloody hat because of me. I lied to Emma about everything. I beat a man simply for trying to break into a library and nearly hurt this thief earlier that night merely for spilling wine on Emma's dress the night of our date. I tried to kidnap Henry and would have taken him away from his mothers, had the lad not been clever enough to set a trap of his own so he could escape from me. And the fairies… I can't pretend like I didn't do these things. I can't just let them go. Which is why I deserve to feel the pain caused by these wounds and to suffer these nightmares because… Well, because Emma has forgiven me for everything. Even for my many past sins, and it's because of her that it's as though they've been erased. But they're not. Not for me, they're not. I've done far too much I'm ashamed of, and even if I spend the rest of my life trying to make things right… And believe me, it would take an entire lifetime to do if it were possible… I don't know if I can forgive myself for all that I've done. You both know firsthand how cruel I can be. The least I can do is continue to feel this pain."

He then finally raised his head to look at Belle and remorsefully added, "Just as Gold doesn't deserve you, Belle… as you're good and loving, I don't deserve Emma. I don't. Yet I'm too much of a coward to leave her. Without her, I'm nothing. I might as well be dead."

"Do you want to know what I think?" Archie finally asked the pirate Captain. "I think that it's more important for you not to leave Emma, because you wish more than anything to protect her from threats that are beyond yourself. And she's had too many people abandon her in her life just as you have. You don't want to be one more person to hurt her as they have."

"You're right," Killian answered him. "I can't be another person to hurt her. Not so long as she'll continue to have me. I can't hurt her anymore than I have already."

Belle smiled at her friend sadly and then she stated, "You call yourself a coward. It's funny… I've called Rumple a coward a number of times in our past together, but it was always because he has been willing to push away our love and even destroy it, all for the love of his power and his drive to gain more and more. That… and because he's never fully believed I would love a beast like him. And now he's finally lost me for good. You call yourself a coward… not because you push your love away upon loathing yourself as you do, but you're terribly afraid of losing her because of all your sins, yet you stay and you continue to fight to be a better man everyday because of Emma. It's beautiful. And I think… Emma is very lucky to have you in her life. You love her just as any woman deserves to be loved, Killian. That is what sets you apart from the man you used to be and why we all have forgiven you, whether you feel you deserve our forgiveness or not."

Killian was about to speak again, until an alert coming from the library's computer sounded to inform Belle that a new email had come through, then after she walked around the desk to read it, she looked between her friends as she informed them that the email they had been waiting for from a man she believed to be a professor getting back to her with the translations had finally arrived, unbeknownst to the beauty that it was really Gold who she was in communication with.

Given that they were no longer talking about him and upon hearing that the translations they had been waiting for came in, Killian smiled out of relief, then responded, "Excellent. I'll head to the Charmings' loft to find Emma, and to collect the Dark One's dagger and the box containing the hat. You go find Regina and let her know we'll be needing her help with freeing the fairies at last. Hopefully once we do, we'll be able to save the old man and Zelena too. Thank you, Belle. And you too, Dr. Hopper. But there's work to be done."


	5. Chapter 5

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Five

Meanwhile, inside Regina's office within the Town Hall…

The Mayor and former Evil Queen had been sitting at her desk carefully studying Henry's storybook for some time, searching through its pages for any answers that would lead to finding the Author. It wasn't the first time that she's done so, but after she, Henry, Robin, and now Emma had all failed to find anything about him elsewhere, the storybook was still the best chance they had. So Regina continued to search the book's pages despite her losing hope that she would ever find him.

_Finally, she let out a weary sigh in frustration, just as Emma walked inside carrying some food for her in her hand and approached her at her desk, then set the package down in front of her friend while she questioned, "__How do you feel about kale salad?"_

_ Without looking up at the blonde haired woman now standing in front of her, Regina responded sternly, "Like someone found someplace other than Granny's for takeout."_

_ "I'm fine with her grilled cheese, but I know it gets to you," Emma replied, as she continued to play along upon sensing Regina's frustration._

_ "You eat like a child," Regina stated again with a laugh and then finally lifted her head to look up at her friend, then saw Emma was also carrying a bottle of soda pop she was now holding as well. "Is that a root beer?"_

_ As she pulled out the second bottle she was carrying beneath her arm and began to struggle to open one of them, Emma quickly corrected her, "Two. I got you one. Thought you could use a break."_

_ Regina looked up at Emma again out of frustration as she asked rhetorically, "A break from what? Dead end after dead end? This Sorcerer… Or Author… Whatever he wants to be called… Doesn't want to be found."_

_ "It's only been a few weeks," the Savior answered her, once again sensing what was really bothering her friend, yet not feeling one hundred percent certain._

_ "Exactly, and I've conquered entire realms in less time," the former Evil Queen brusquely retorted._

_ As Emma continued to struggle to open her own drink, then walked away from the desk in search of a bottle cap opener so she could drink it, Emma sarcastically responded, "Can you conquer these bottles? I thought they were twist offs."_

_ Regina then scoffed, "Do I look like I can pry them off with my teeth? I'm a Queen and a bit more refined."_

_ "Yeah, I got that," the younger woman curtly replied once more, then opened one of the room's cupboard drawers and closed it when she didn't find what she was looking for. "My mom had a bottle opener here during her brief tenure… somewhere."_

_ "Wait!" Regina then suddenly shouted out to Emma a she quickly rose from her desk and stood, after she raised her head just in time to see which cabinet drawer Emma was about to open next. "Don't…"_

However, Regina was too late, as the Savior opened the drawer before her friend could finish her objection to her doing so, and found the mysterious page twenty-three that Robin had found weeks ago inside his bag when he and Will Scarlett had been searching for their own answers inside the town's library.

Emma stared down in surprise at the picture of what appeared to be a much younger version of Regina and Robin, as they were kissing outside of a tavern of some sort Emma suspected was within her family's old world, then she finally turned to look at her friend again while she asked, "What's this? Did you take it from the book?"

When Emma started walking back over to Regina who still stood behind her desk, the Mayor answered sadly, "It's not from the book. Robin found it…"

"When did he find it?" the blonde question once more. "This didn't happen, did it? What does it mean?"

"If I knew the answer to that question, I wouldn't be on such a drive to find this Author we're looking for, now would I?" Regina brusquely responded out of frustration, then reached out to take the page away from her friend and began to stare down at it like she's done quite often since Robin brought it to her. "I'm sorry. It's just that I… Robin told me when he showed me this page, that he believed it meant there is hope for us."

The Savior looked at her as she steadfastly replied, "Of course there's hope, Regina. You and Robin are still together. And you're happy. Despite Zelena's efforts to tear you apart when she posed as Marian for that brief time. I know that you're worried something's still gonna happen that might still break you two apart, but…"

The former Evil Queen interrupted, "It isn't just that, Emma. You wouldn't… You wouldn't really understand. Only those of us who are villains… or who used to be villains, can possibly understand. Hook does. We've talked about this briefly once before."

"You've talked about what?" Emma then worryingly asked her upon hearing that the man she loved had once expressed his own fear to Regina, rather than to her. "And when?"

"Back when we had just arrived in Neverland," Regina quietly answered her, as she then thought back to that moment between her and the pirate Captain upon their arrival in that dark world.

_While Regina had been staring off in the distance towards the island, Hook appeared behind her to take up the helm of his ship once again as he reached out his hook to stop the wheel for a moment in order to slow the Jolly Roger down, and she immediately turned and walked over to him while she asked angrily, "Why are you slowing down? In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger!"_

_ Hook began to steer once more as they continued on towards the island, then he responded quietly, "Oh… I know, my hotheaded Queen. The plan is to bring us to the far side of the island, link up with the widest part of the river, then we sail right through… take him by surprise. The irony…"_

_ "What irony?" Her Majesty questioned him curiously in reply upon seeing the look of amusement over their current actions on his face while he continued to man the helm._

_ "Oh… I spent more time than I care to remember trying to leave this place to kill Rumplestiltskin," Hook somberly answered her. "And here I am, sailing right back into its heart with him as my guest of honor. It's not quite the happy ending I was hoping for."_

_ Without nodding her understanding after he finished his explanation, even though she did understand him, Regina looked out at the distance ahead of them again, before she turned back to face him once more as she responded, "Greg Mendell said something funny to me. He said I'm a villain, and that villains don't get happy endings. You believe that?"_

_ Hook had then replied out of worry, "I hope not… or we've wasted our lives."_

"You should really convince him to talk to you about it, because it's not really my place to say," Regina at last spoke to Emma once she broke from her thoughts as the memory faded. "I understand why he's struggling to talk to you about why he's so worried. It's kind of why I am too. For different reasons of course, but… But you have to get him to open up about why he's so upset with himself after everything he did under Gold's control. It's eating at him even more than you know, Emma. Trust me. However, just know that he spoke to me then about fearing the consequences from being the villains we used to be. I don't know about Hook… But I am afraid that at any moment, someone… or something, is going to one day take Robin away from me in some way. All because this Author wrote me as only the Evil Queen because he or she sees me as nothing more. And what if… villains don't get happy endings just because this Author and his book says so?"

"We will find him, Regina," the Savior finally answered her with confidence and assurance. "Or her… whoever this Author may be. I promise. Because we won't stop our search until we do. And you know just how determined Henry is to help you."

The Mayor nodded as she smiled and then she responded, "I do. And you're right. I suppose I just needed to be reminded. Thank you, Emma. Listen… about Hook…"

Unfortunately for Emma, before Regina could finish, Belle suddenly charged into Regina's office and upon seeing the Savior and the Queen there, the beauty breathlessly called out to them, "Regina… Emma! Oh good… you're both here. Thank goodness. Hook is actually on his way to your loft to find you, Emma. But hopefully your parents will be there and let him know you're here."

"Whoa, Belle… just slow down," the Savior finally said to encourage her to take a moment to get her breathing under control. "It's okay. Now… what's going on? Did you and Killian find something to free the fairies?"

_"Yeah, I uh… I found an incantation," Belle more calmly replied to her. "It's uh… it's part of a spell in uh… an ancient tongue I've never seen before. Which made translation a challenge. But I did it. I found a professor of linguistics from Oxford, and he just emailed me with the translation. It's an ancient ceremony, but uh… one that'll bring them back."_

_ She then turned to Regina as she quickly added, "I uh… I just need you to enact it."_

_ "Ceremony, huh?" the Savior confidently answered her, then looked over again at Regina. "Well, Madame Mayor… ready to pronounce today, 'Free the fairies day'?"_


	6. Chapter 6

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Six

A little less than an hour later, somewhere deep within the woods…

Killian at last arrived at the place where Emma had told him to meet her and the others in a message she left him on his phone, and found that Emma, Regina, Henry, Belle, and Robin were all there already waiting for him to join them with the hat and Dark One dagger. Mary Margaret came with him, while David stayed at home with their son so that he wouldn't be in any danger should the heroes' plan to free the fairies from the hat go wrong. Each of them hoped not, but they all certainly worried that something might.

The Savior walked over to the man she loved as she tenderly kissed his cheek before she reached out to take the hat still securely contained within its round shaped box from Killian's hand so he could pull out Rumplestiltskin's dagger from his jacket's pocket as well. Then, he handed the blade over to Regina, while Emma carefully placed the box down on top of the large boulder now in between them, before the heroes took a few steps back so Regina could begin the newly translated spell Belle had given to her.

_"__You got it?" Emma then asked her friend once Regina stepped up to the boulder and warily raised the blade over the box, expecting to bring out the hat like Gold had done so they could free the fairies._

_ "I got it," the former Evil Queen assuredly answered her, then closed her eyes as she started to enact the spell, causing the wind to rustle more wildly around them as Regina continued, while a strange humming sound also began to arise from within the box._

_ Upon sensing Killian's uneasiness when he swiftly reached down to grip her hand tightly within his own, Emma looked over at him and smiled to help ease his concern. Mary Margaret also looked over between her daughter and the pirate Captain, feeling the same sense of uneasiness, while they all just hoped this spell would truly succeed in freeing their friends from within the hat._

_ When Regina finished casting the spell, she too stepped away from the box and then waited for her magic to work. However, the moment she did so, the humming died and the wind stilled. And for moment, she and the others still with her all believed that the spell had failed because it hadn't been strong enough, or that it had been translated improperly._

_ And then suddenly, magic powerfully ruptured from within the box in the form of a blinding yellow light as it surrounded the heroes, all of whom immediately turned away and concealed their eyes. Once the brightness faded, Emma raised her head and looked again into Killian's eyes, before they and everyone else stood tall once more, then turned back again to find that the fairies were finally free, and kneeling on the ground while they looked all around them out of fear._

_ While Belle and Mary Margaret did the same for the rest of the fairies, Emma rushed over to help Blue off the ground, as the leader of the fairies looked up at her and whispered gratefully, "Thank you."_

_ Out of concern, the Savior asked gently, "You all right?"_

_ "No," the Blue Fairy shakenly responded. "I'll live. But being in there with…"_

_ "Thank you," she then finished simply after she took a moment to breathe in and out, not wanting to go into what all she and her sisters had been trapped among within the Dark One's hat just now._

_ Emma then looked over at Regina as she replied to the fairy, "Actually, you should thank the Mayor."_

_ When Blue uneasily did so, as Regina stood a few feet away from her while she too shook from the exertion of power that it took for her to enact the spell, the former Evil Queen smiled at her and then stated with sincerity, "Welcome back."_

_ "Thank you," Blue graciously answered her, then continued to look around her until her eyes then stopped on Killian's, while he remained back apprehensively as he watched on to make sure the women really were all right._

"You!" Blue suddenly spoke to him out of anger rarely seen from the fairy the moment her eyes locked on the man who had imprisoned her and her sisters. "How could you…? How could you do that to us?! You haven't changed. Emma… Hook was the one who trapped us inside that hat. He's still a villain."

Upon seeing Killian turn away and lower his head out of shame, Emma stepped between him and Blue as she defended the man she loved steadfastly saying, "Killian didn't trap you in that hat because he's still a villain, Blue. He didn't have a choice. Gold forced him to hurt all of you. He had taken possession of Killian's heart. After he ripped it out and forced Killian to do a number of things he is ashamed of in spite of him being innocent in all of this. Please… don't blame him. Killian is a good man. I promise."

The Blue Fairy looked at the Savior again skeptically until she saw the truth Emma spoke in her eyes, so she nodded and then turned back to Killian again as she responded gently, "I'm sorry, Hook. I shouldn't have been so quick to accuse you of any wrongdoing. Of still being a villain. I was wrong."

Killian simply nodded his head in understanding, without saying a word before he watched her turn away so she could rejoin the other fairies now talking with Mary Margaret and Belle. And when she sensed Killian was upset, Emma started to approach him so she could try to offer him comfort. However, he turned away from her and walked away before she could. She sadly watched him leave, then stepped forward to stand beside Regina, who sympathetically reached out to pat her arm comfortingly as they both turned to Mary Margaret when she spoke out again.

"I say we all head back to Granny's and celebrate our success in freeing the fairies!" she joyfully exclaimed. "I'll call David, and together we can quickly gather all we need for such a party."

"That would be great, Mom," Emma replied to her with a smile, despite her worry for Killian. "You're right… we ought to celebrate the fairies' freedom. It's been peaceful here in Storybrooke for the last six weeks. It's about time we really enjoy it."

Everyone gathered together again, then they started to make their way back into town and left the woods. Unfortunately, no one noticed the thick black smoke that had slowly poured out from within the hat not long after Regina cast the spell to free the fairies once everyone became distracted upon talking amongst one another. And when the creature… whatever it might be, was finally free, its smoke flew off into the sky until it disappeared.

A short time later, David with his son in his arms, arrived at Granny's to meet up with his wife, daughter, and grandson, then everyone soon began to discuss plans that were quickly put into action so they could begin their celebration inside the diner right away. Emma on the other hand, left the main room through the back entrance so that she could search for Killian, starting with his room where she suspected he might have gone so he could be alone. However, she was surprised to find that she didn't have to search very long, when she found him standing in the back at the bottom of the stairwell leading up to the apartments as he was staring off at nothing with despair and self loathing written all over his face. Clearly, he hadn't noticed her entering the hallway once she came out.

_In a weak effort to try to make him smile in spite of knowing she would fail, Emma called out to him playfully, "Whoa. Beware of lurking pirates. What are you doin'?"_

_ As she approached him, Killian raised his head to look at her and then he answered wearily, "Just thinking."_

_ "Lurking and brooding," she said again with a smile, and gently laid one of her hands over his arm to offer him some comfort. "That's a classic combo. I think heroes can do a little bit of bragging and celebrating. Let's go. It's a party. We should… buckle some swash or…You know… whatever."_

_ "I'm hardly a hero," the pirate hopelessly responded to her in frustration, as he finally revealed to her what she already knew he believed about himself, especially after Blue's harsh accusations. "The fairies were only in the hat because I put them there."_

_ The Savior looked into his eyes while she replied to him assuredly, "You weren't in control of that. That was Gold. Trust me. You have a mark in the hero column."_

_ Even though he didn't really believe her, he knew that she meant well and so he lightheartedly answered, "I hope so."_

_ "Come on," she then whispered to him, while she attempted to pull him along with her so they could return to the celebration inside the diner._

"Wait…" Killian then suddenly objected as he strangely pulled away from her, causing Emma to turn around to look at him once more. "Wait… Emma, I… I'm not so sure me going in there is such a great idea. The Blue Fairy may understand that what I did to them was because of the bloody Dark One, but the other fairies? Even if they understand as well… How can I celebrate, when we've only succeeded in freeing them? I have yet to find a way to free the old man and Zelena. And I have to. I can't celebrate right now."

The woman who loved him looked into his eyes sadly and saw the pain behind them, then she moved closer to him so she could lean against his body before she pulled him into a firm embrace, nestling the top of her head tenderly beneath his chin as she closed her eyes while breathing in his scent.

After a few moments, she reached down to take his hand into one of her own and then raised her head to look again into his eyes as she spoke to him tenderly saying, "I know that you can't see how good you are right now, Killian. But no matter how you feel about yourself… it isn't how I feel about you. And I understand if you don't feel comfortable enough to go out there and celebrate with us. But why don't we go out there, and talk to Blue. Maybe she can think of a way to help us free Zelena and the old man. If anyone can, I bet it would be her. That was our plan after all."

When she sensed his hesitation after she attempted once more to pull him along with her towards the entrance into the diner, she turned back to him and continued, "It's okay. She will want to help us free them. At least the old man. I'm not so sure about Zelena though. As far as I'm concerned, she can stay inside the hat. But if you feel you have to free her too…"

"I get what you're saying, Emma, but even Zelena doesn't deserve to be trapped in that hat and I put her in there," Killian sadly responded. "I won't have righted my mistakes, unless I fix everything I've done. That includes freeing Zelena too. Afterwards, you and Regina can put her back inside of her prison cell where she belongs."

"Then we will figure out a way to," the Savior finally assured him. "Come on. Let's go talk with Blue."

As Emma and Killian walked into the diner and started looking around the room for the Blue Fairy, they both spotted her sitting alone in one of the booths, until they saw Regina and Henry approach her as well, as Regina held one of the blank storybooks in her hands. Knowing exactly what it was Regina and Henry had gone over to ask Blue, Emma glanced back at Killian again and nodded, then he followed behind Emma as they too quietly walked over to them, but waited to talk about their own problem until Regina finished.

_Once Regina and Henry reached her first, after Henry had encouraged his adopted mother to go on and ask her what she wanted to, Blue looked up at the former Evil Queen with surprise when Regina cleared her throat, then stated nervously, "Excuse me. May I ask you something?"_

_ After Henry sat down in the booth beside her, the Blue Fairy looked up at Regina again as she apprehensively replied, "What can I do for you?"_

_ "Do you know what this is?" Regina questioned her when she set the book down in front of her.._

_ "Where did you get this?" the fairy sternly asked._

_ "The Sorcerer's mansion," Emma answered for Regina once she and Killian also walked over. "Henry found dozens of these blank books there."_

_ Blue looked at them all with surprise as she asked keenly, "The Sorcerer is here?"_

_ Henry dolefully responded, "Well… his house is, but we haven't found him yet."_

_ "You're looking for him?" Blue asked again._

_ "Well, I was hoping he could… write me a happy ending," Regina replied to her with worry, because she knew how some people still saw her, including the fairies, especially when Blue scoffed at the former Evil Queen's request. "But that book seems to have great power."_

_ Blue then looked down at the book and began to flip through its pages as she answered firmly, "Oh, it does."_

_ Regina chuckled as she added, "So I thought if he rewrote it… I know it sounds crazy."_

_ "It's not crazy at all," the Blue Fairy assuredly responded once more. "But you're looking for the wrong person. Although the Sorcerer is a very powerful wizard, you should be looking for the Author."_

_ "Aren't they the same person?" Emma questioned her in confusion._

_ However, Regina quickly asked again, "Why would the Sorcerer have the Author's books?"_

_ The leader of the fairies looked between all those surrounding her as she curiously replied, "That is a quite perplexing question. And I'm afraid I do not know. But I do know that they are two very different people."_

_ "So… You know who the Author is." Regina asked as she then sat down in the booth across from the woman in front of her._

_ "No," Blue answered her plainly. "But I do know he exists. I mean… if he is a 'he'. I've never actually seen him. In fact… no one has. Not for many years."_

_ Regina finally let out a sigh in frustration, then turned her head to look up between Emma and Hook as she retorted crossly, "So this is where hope has gotten me?"_

_ However, Emma looked down on her as well, as she assured her by saying, "We'll find him, Regina. It's not like he just vanished."_

_ "Blue, do you have any idea why he might've disappeared?" she then asked the fairy once more when she looked over at her too._

_ "Sadly, no," Blue responded. "But there are whispers that he left hidden clues in some of his works."_

_ The Savior questioned, "You mean… works like Henry's book?"_

_ Unfortunately, before the Blue Fairy could say more, a loud and horrible shriek suddenly sounded from somewhere outside, causing the ground beneath the diner to shake and the lights to flicker, and when everyone immediately stopped talking amongst themselves as they all turned their heads towards the door in fear, Emma turned as well as once the rumbling subsided, then asked sternly, "What the hell was that?"_

_ "I suppose we should go out and see what's killing property values this time," Regina crossly replied._

_ However, not everyone left the diner, because most were too afraid to do so. Instead, only Emma, Killian, Regina, Robin, Belle, Mary Margaret, and David ran out, after Regina asked Henry to stay inside with Blue where he would hopefully remain safe from whatever it was that made such a cry._

_ Once they ran out, as those already outside were running away in fear, the heroes all turned in shock upon hearing the sounds of a monster snarling and grumbling somewhere off in the distance. When they finally turned in the direction of the horrendous sounds, it was then that they finally saw a huge, black winged monster with horns and glowing red eyes, standing on top of the clock tower as it spread its wings outward threateningly._

_ All of a sudden, it swooped down and swiftly attacked those standing before it. The heroes immediately ducked along the parked cars around them as it charged at them, before they all swiftly ran for cover down an alleyway beside one of the shops nearby. None of them knew who the creature was targeting, if it was even targeting anyone at all._

_ "Did that thing come out of the hat?!" Regina tensely cried out once she quickly thought about all the possible ways this monster might have found its way to Storybrooke. "I thought the spell was only supposed to release the fairies."_

_ Mary Margaret uttered anxiously, "Well, maybe it is some kind of fairy."_

_ While Emma struggled to think of how to stop this monster, in spite of feeling just as frightened and uneasy as everyone else, she answered as calmly as she could, "Why don't we just put it back in the hat and figure out the rest later?"_

_ "Because we can't," Belle responded worryingly. "Once something's freed, it can never be retrapped."_

_ "Great," the Savior curtly replied. "So our best defense against magical beasts follows the same rules as chicken pox?"_

_ When Killian turned away from watching the creature after it continued to fly through the sky to look back at the woman he loved, he answered her steadfastly, "Surely the Savoir and Evil Queen can defeat a simple hell beast."_

_ Regina glared at him as she retorted, "Can we drop the 'E' word already?"_

_ She then nodded at the Savior, who simply nodded back in understanding, then together Emma and Regina stepped back out into the street to stand before the winged creature, who then immediately turned back at its new targets. All of a sudden, the monster charged at them as it roared loudly. However, this time, the women with magic both unleashed their powers against the monster, in hope that they would be powerful enough to destroy it. As soon as their magic struck the beast, it roared and shrieked out as if it were in pain and this time, it just flew away from them without attempting to attack once more._

_ "Well, that was easy," Emma stated out of surprise once it was gone from sight._

_ "Don't get excited," Regina sternly responded, as the others came out from the alleyway to stand with them again. "We only stunned it. And a blast like that should've destroyed it."_

_ The Savior shook her head as she replied in frustration, "I was just getting used to things being relaxing around here."_

_ She then turned behind her to begin requesting help from her friends as she looked at the beauty first and stated, "Belle…"_

_ "I'll see if I can find anything about this thing in the library," Belle answered her before Emma could barely get out her name._

_ "Thanks," Emma uttered with surprise that Belle knew just what she was going to ask of her, then she turned to her mother as well. "And, Mary Margaret…"_

_ However, Mary Margaret sensed her daughter's wishes too and responded quickly, "I'll get everyone to safety. I'm on that."_

_ Upon being more surprised, Emma replied, "Wow. You guys really have this down."_

_ "Well… this isn't our first monster bash," Hook smugly answered her, then walked forward to stand closer to the woman he left, while Belle and Mary Margaret left them to go do as was needed of them, and Robin quickly ran off so he could talk with his men in the woods._

_ "Well, now that that's settled… what say we figure out a way to clip this bat's wings before it comes back?" Regina then suggested they do together._

The Savior glanced between her and Killian and responded, "That sounds like a good idea as any. There has to be some way to destroy this thing."

Killian then replied, "There is, Swan. And we'll find it."


	7. Chapter 7

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Seven

Meanwhile…

Cruella's Panther De Ville roadster was speeding towards Storybrooke, Maine with its owner behind the wheel, and with Rumplestiltskin and Ursula as its passengers. The three villains barely spoke to one another for most of their drive except for when the Dark One finished explaining the rest of his plan as much as he was willing to, to the two women he was now depending on to help him not only get back into Storybrooke, but also to help him get his revenge on those who wronged him. Mainly Hook and Emma for thwarting his plans, as well as for turning his wife against him.

At last, after Cruella drove over a pothole in the road that caused Gold to become even more uneasy in the backseat of the car than he already was, he spoke to her with ridicule saying curtly, "You know… I would really prefer to survive this road trip of ours. Given that you drive like a mad woman every time you get behind the wheel of this fancy roadster of yours, it's amazing you're still alive."

The woman with white and black hair glanced back at the villain through her rearview mirror while she continued to drive at the same reckless pace as she retorted scornfully, "If you don't like the way I drive, the door is to your left or to your right. Feel free to jump out at any time. Just don't expect me to stop, or even slow down at all."

"Well… you might want to slow down," he curtly replied to her. "Because I believe that Storybrooke… is just ahead. I just need to find where it is that I left my tie."

"You could have just said so without the ridicule," Ursula uttered from the passenger's seat, then reached down to grab hold of the handle on the door when the other villainess beside her suddenly slammed on the car's breaks to stop like Gold advised her to do.

Once she did so, the Dark One finally got out of the car and stepped over to the trees within the woods to his left, then he walked a few paces forward until he came up on one of the tree's branches where he had previously tied his necktie to it in order to mark where the town line was to the Land With Magic.

After she and Cruella followed the Dark One with their eyes as they watched him step away from them, Ursula then looked out at their surroundings and finally questioned the villain who planned their revenge, "So… this is where Storybrooke is? There's nothing here, but trees and more road leading to God knows where."

Once Gold pulled his tie from the tree after he untied the knot keeping it tied to the branch, he turned his head to look back at the Sea Witch as he responded, "It's like I've told you… Storybrooke is invisible to the outside world. And right now, that includes us. You know my plan. All of it. And if the heroes have used my spell to free the fairies from the hat by now like I suspect they have, it won't be long before they will agree to let you both across the town line into Storybrooke, in exchange for you telling them what they must do to defeat the Chernabog that has also been freed."

"Fine," Cruella brusquely retorted, then she looked at him suspiciously when she got the sense that the Dark One wasn't telling them everything, as Ursula sensed from him as well. "Tell us, darling… Is there something more we ought to know? Just who else should we expect to come up against once we walk inside this town of yours?"

"Other than Captain Hook, Regina, Snow White, and Prince Charming, that is?" Ursula sternly added. "Is Hook's so called Savior, really as big of a threat like you've told us she is?"

Gold looked over at the villainess with darkness in his eyes while he answered her bitterly, "She's worse. I wouldn't underestimate her, dearie. However, if we succeed in our plans for her, then the rest of the heroes will most certainly fall after her. Especially Hook. You would like that… wouldn't you?"

The Sea Witch smiled cruelly as she replied, "You have no idea. What's our first step now that we're finally here?"

_"__The number's all cued up," he responded once he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and held it out for her to take. "All you have to do is press the 'call' button."_

_ "I know how a phone works," she curtly retorted as she swiftly snatched the phone from his hand, then stared down at the screen before raising her head again to glare at him. "I just don't know if I can trust the man whose phone it is."_

_ Gold looked between Ursula, as well as Cruella too while he questioned, "And why is that? I mean… you have my phone, my entire plan. And tonight… if you decide not to come back for me and stay in Storybrooke and abandon me, I couldn't blame you. That's why this time is different. Because this time, my entire salvation depends not on you trusting me, but on me trusting you. Now… Are we in this together?"_

_ Ursula finally turned her head towards Cruella once more seeking confirmation from her partner, who looked at her in return with a suspicious smile, before she answered, "I guess you'll find out tonight, won't you?"_

She then turned her eyes back on the phone and pushed the 'send' button so she could at last make the call to Regina, as Gold had set up for her. And once she did so, the villainess who hated dogs quickly walked over to stand beside the Sea Witch, and together all three villains waited for the former Evil Queen to pick up her phone, provided she wasn't too busy still dealing with the monster that had once nearly killed them some time ago within the Enchanted Forest.


	8. Chapter 8

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Eight

Inside the Merry Men's camp within the woods…

After Robin left Regina and the others back in town so he could return to his men, he made his way into the woods as fast as he was able to so that he could warn his friends of the new threat that has arisen. The archer also hoped to be able to help the woman he loved and the others by putting together a search party to go out in order to look for the monster. Not so they could try to destroy it themselves, but so when Regina, Emma, and Hook would hopefully find a way to, he would be able to inform them where the dark winged creature was so they could destroy it quickly before it did any real damage.

When Robin finally reached the camp, Little John saw him approach and quickly came out to greet him, followed quickly by Roland, who immediately ran into his father's arms after he too ran out upon seeing him arrive as well. The leader of the Merry Men held his son close for a few moments, then carefully put him down again so he could run off with a few of the other men, including Will so he could play.

"A new threat's cone to town again, hasn't it?" Little John finally questioned his closest friend, when he turned back to face him again once the boy was well out of earshot.

"I'm afraid so," the archer sternly responded him. "It's a dark winged beast with glowing red eyes, horns, and giant wings. Whatever it is… it's dangerous, and it's certainly not going to be easy to destroy. But Regina, Emma, and Hook are looking for a way to as we speak. We need to help them by seeing if we can find it for them when they find a way. We need to gather together a search party."

The big man standing in front of him let out a sigh in frustration before he answered, "We can put together a search party, but are you sure this is a good idea? I mean… Will and a few of the other men can stay here and look after Roland of course. But what if this winged beast attacks us when it sees that we're looking for it with our weapons drawn? What if this thing is anything like the Wicked Witch's winged monkeys? From your description… it sounds like some kind of demon, or beast from Hell. I would rather not be turned into something unnatural again."

Robin reached out to lay his hand over his friend's shoulder and then replied somberly, "I couldn't agree with you more. But we have to do this to try to help the others. If anything, it will save us time in having to search for this creature later on, if we can even find it. Help me gather the men together. And try not to worry, Little John… Everything's gonna be alright. We're going to find this thing… whatever it is, and then we're going to destroy it before it can hurt anyone. I believe in Regina and Emma."

Back in town…

When she failed to find information on the beast inside the library, Belle walked back to her husband's pawnshop to continue her search. Once the beauty entered inside, she started her task at hand by first putting away some of the books she had collected in her search for the right spell to free the fairies from the hat, so she wouldn't mix up the old books with the new ones in which she hoped to find some new answers in, in order to help save time. And when she finished, she finally began to search the shop again for any books that would hopefully help her to discover what this new threat to their town was, then began to study them. After awhile, Belle finally raised her head from the book she had been reading and let out a sigh in frustration.

"Oh, Rumple…" she then spoke to herself aloud, almost as though she were speaking with her husband like he was in the room standing beside her. "Why did you have to give back into the beast inside of you? I miss you. The part of you who is the man I love. I wish you were still here. At least the part of you who loves me back."

"You won't ever be rid of me, dearie!" the Dark One's voice suddenly sounded, causing her to immediately became startled, especially when an illusion of the monster within her husband appeared behind her until the beauty spun around to face him, only for his apparition to vanish as quickly as it appeared.

The sound of his cruel laugher frighteningly began to linger though the air surrounding her, and yet when Belle covered her ears to try to drown out his voice after she couldn't take it any longer, it finally faded away, then she grumbled to herself once more, "Great. Missing him is one thing, but seeing him like he were a ghost… No. No… Rumple's ghost won't keep me from helping my friends. Come on, Belle… Keep on doing what it is you do best. Research."

Just when the beauty turned back to where the book she had been reading was lying out on top of one of the glass counters, the front door of the shop opened as the jingle of the bell above it sounded, then she turned once Grumpy, Bashful, Doc, and Dopey all walked inside while Grumpy called out to her, "Sister… please tell us that you've found out something about this giant winged monster that just attacked everyone on the street by now?"

"I'm working on it as quickly as I can, Leroy, but you have to be patient like everyone else," she sternly said to him out of frustration, then she looked between each of the dwarfs before she reached out to pick up another of Gold's books she had pulled out from the bookshelves earlier and started to hand it over to the dwarf who had spoken. "You know… this would go a lot faster if I wasn't the only one doing the research here. I don't suppose you boys are here to help?"

"If it will help you find out what that thing out there is faster, then just tell us what you need," Doc assured her with a smile, as he took the book from her before his brother could, while the other two both moved to the counter to pick up a few more books to join in, followed by Grumpy at last.


	9. Chapter 9

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Nine

Once again inside Regina's office…

Regina, Emma, and Killian returned to the Town Hall so they could discuss how they might be able to destroy this new threat that's arisen and once they walked inside, the Savior grumbled sternly, "Okay… so, until Belle is hopefully able to come back to us with exactly what this thing is, what exactly can we do in the meantime? If our powers combined doesn't work on that monster…"

Killian finished her thoughts for her with frustration, given that they were his own as well, "Then what will? I don't suppose we have anything powerful enough to trap it at least?"

"Exactly what do you suggest we trap this monstrosity in?" Regina crossly retorted when she turned around to face him again once she took a seat in the chair behind her desk. "You heard Belle as well as we did. We can't trap it back in that damned hat again."

"I didn't mean we trap it in the hat," Hook gruffly answered her. "I was talking about maybe… Pandora's Box. Or perhaps something else the Dark One might have hidden within that bloody shop of his."

Emma finally spoke as she replied, "Killian's right. Pandora's Box doesn't sound like a bad idea. Why couldn't we? At least until we can figure out what this monster is and how do destroy it once and for all."

The Mayor took a moment to think the idea through and then in agreement, she finally responded, "I suppose it's the best idea we've got so far. Aside from trying to gather together more of us with power to help you and me fight against that thing, that is. I just don't have much confidence that even more power, no matter who it comes from will do it. However, how would any of us even get close enough to this creature in order to trap it?"

_Emma was about to say something more until Regina's cell phone rang, but before the former Evil Queen flipped it open to answer the call, she looked down at the screen to see who it was, then stared down at it suspiciously when she recognized the number, and she immediately felt uneasy. At last, Regina answered the call simply in order to get her phone to stop ringing when whoever was calling her didn't appear to be planning on giving up._

_ "Regina… who is it?" Emma worryingly asked her friend upon recognizing the uneasy look on Regina's face as her eyes grew cold once she picked up and heard the voice on the other end of the line._

_ "The Sea Bitch," the dark haired woman darkly answered the Savior, then she concentrated again on the call at hand, while Killian's eyes immediately darkened as well the moment he heard Regina utter Ursula's name._

_ Through the phone from across the town line, Ursula spoke haughtily saying, "I've missed you too. How are you?"_

_ Regina stood up from her chair and started walking around her desk towards her friends standing by her as she replied snidely, "Mostly wondering how a plate of undercooked calamari ended up with the Dark One's cell phone."_

_ "I stole it from him," the villainess simply responded._

_ "Regina…" Emma then stated in concern, as she reached out to grab her friend's arm in order to urge Regina to put Ursula on speaker._

_ The Mayor quickly complied, then leaned back against her desk, as Emma sat down in one of the chairs nearby and Killian remained standing behind her so they could listen in, while Regina asked the Sea Witch, "And where is he now?"_

_ While Cruella stood beside her partner to listen in as well, Ursula answered, "If we're lucky… probably passed out at the dive bar where Cruella and I left him."_

_ "Cruella?" Regina sternly questioned out of surprise upon hearing that the two villains were once again working together._

_ "Yes, we're back together," the God's daughter deceptively continued as she began to spin the villains' tale that would soon get the heroes to let them inside Storybrooke. "Rumple found us in New York, said he needed some old friends. Told us a tearful tale about how he was living in a quaint town until he ruined everything. But he said it was a special place where villains could find redemption. Regina, Rumplestiltskin told us how you've changed, and we've changed too. We've learned our lessons, and we'd like a chance to prove it to you. Please. Let us in."_

_ The former Evil Queen smiled with contempt, while Emma and Killian immediately felt their concern grow, then Regina smugly replied, "Sorry, dear, but… We have enough problems without inviting two…"_

_ All of a sudden, the winged beast that attacked their town roared from somewhere not far away from the Town Hall, then the Sea Witch asked snootily, "Is one of those problems a hell bat with beady eyes and devil horns?"_

_ "How did you know that?" Regina suspiciously asked the villainess._

_ "Because that's the exact same sound it made before it tried to kill me," she coolly responded._

_ With a raise of her brows on account of her surprise, while Emma felt the same, Regina then stated irritably, "Oh… So you've faced this creature before?"_

_ Ursula smiled smugly as she answered, "Yes… and I can tell you exactly what it wants."_

_ "How convenient," Regina grumbled, until Emma suddenly reached out to mute the call so she could talk with Regina and Killian freely without the risk of the Queens of Darkness overhearing them._

_ "They've been living in a land without magic," she whispered so only Killian and her friend could hear her. "How could they do it?"_

_ It then dawned on the Savior just what these villainesses might believe they need in order to defeat the monster, as she stated, "It's the hat."_

_ Regina scoffed before she brusquely retorted, "I know."_

_ "Fine," she sternly spoke again to the Sea Witch, once she unmuted the phone to continue talking to Ursula and Cruella. "Tell us what it wants."_

_ "And then you'll let us in?" Ursula asked coldly._

_ The former Evil Queen scoffed once more and then she replied, "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."_

_ Unfortunately, the villainess responded cruelly, "Well, then I guess you're on your own."_

_ "Wait," Emma uttered when she immediately reached out again to mute the phone like she had moments ago. "The Snow Queen's scroll let her into Storybrooke once. Maybe it'll work for them."_

"Don't…" Killian suddenly called out while he swiftly moved around the chair where Emma was sitting and reached down to stop the Mayor from unmuting the phone, then looked between the women now looking up at him upon his interruption. "Just wait a moment. Trust me… I don't know about Cruella, but the Sea Witch hasn't come here seeking redemption like she claims. I've no doubt there might be other motivations behind them coming here as well, but Ursula and I have a past. A dark one. And I'm willing to wager that she wants only one thing here… Another chance to hurt me for the terrible thing I did to her years ago. And to do that, she will hurt you, Swan. We can't… We can't let her in. Either of them."

Emma looked at him worryingly like she's done a lot in the last few weeks, then she answered gently, "I'm afraid we might not have much of a choice. Not if Ursula really is telling the truth. But we can discuss this more once we're off the phone. For now… I say we just let them know we'll consider it."

_Regina finally unmuted the phone, as she then spoke again to the Queens of Darkness saying, "All right, Squid. If your information pans out, we'll consider letting you in. Those are my terms."_

_ "You've got a deal," the Sea Witch haughtily agreed, then hung up just before Regina did as well._

"You know… as much as I hate to agree with the pirate, I do have to agree that it's a bad idea to let the Sea Witch and dog hater in," Regina then spoke to Emma and Killian again once they were able to talk more freely. "But… I'm afraid we'll have to if we will have any hope of defeating that monster out there. These witches faced it before and lived to tell about it. They must know how. Why don't the two of you take a few minutes to talk, then meet me outside so we can move forward."

_The Mayor then left the room so her friends could be alone, while Emma turned back to the man she loved again once he turned to face her as well and she finally asked somberly, "Did you break her heart?"_

_ Killian lowered his head and looked away from her out of shame before he whispered guiltily, "Worse."_

_ "Look… Whatever you did, you're not that person anymore," the Savior lovingly assured him. "It's not gonna change anything between us."_

_ "That's quite a lot of faith you're putting on me, Swan," he apprehensively replied to her._

_ She smiled up at him as she reached out to lay her hand over his cheek, then responded softly, "I know. And there's a reason for it."_

_ Killian looked at her again with confusion as he asked, "What's that?"_

"Because I believe in you," Emma whispered as she tenderly caressed his cheek, while they looked one another in the eyes. "I'm going to keep telling you as often as it takes for me to get through to you. You're a good man, Killian. And I… I care about you. I always will. We're both going to be okay."

"You know how I feel about you too," her pirate sadly answered her once more. "I promise, I will tell you what happened between me and Ursula. But first, we need to deal with this creature threatening us all before it can do any real harm. If allowing Ursula and Cruella into Storybrooke is what we must do to do that, then so be it. However, I swear that I will protect you from her, should my fear about the Sea Witch's intentions be correct. I won't let her hurt you so long as I'm alive."

The Savior tenderly lowered his head towards her so she could kiss him, then once she pulled her lips away from his enough so she could look again into his eyes, she replied undoubtedly, "I'm gonna protect you too. Ursula won't hurt you anymore than she already has in spite of what you might have done to her. Nothing you could have done in your past is deserving of whatever she might have planned. Now come on… let's go find out just what these villainesses have to say and stop this hell beast."

Killian nodded and then responded, "Aye, love."


	10. Chapter 10

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Ten

Once Emma and Killian finished talking, they left Regina's office as they walked downstairs to where they planned to meet up again with Regina, who stood waiting for them to join with her just outside of the building's main doors. When they walked out, the Mayor was on her phone again, so they stood back and waited patiently for her to hang up. From the cold tone in her voice, as well as the coldness in her eyes, Emma and Killian could tell that she was talking with Ursula again, or possibly even Cruella.

"That's just great," Regina grumbled out of frustration after she finally hung up, then turned to face her friends once she put her phone back into her coat pocket.

"Is something wrong?" the Savior asked her. "I mean… more so than just that winged beast attacking everyone and two villainesses looking to come into Storybrooke so they can possibly cause trouble for all of us, that is?"

The dark haired woman looked between her and Hook as she replied brusquely, "Of course something's wrong aside from the obvious. That was Ursula again. She and Cruella had to talk a few things through themselves, which is why they hung up on me earlier. But they just called back to keep up their end of our deal. They say this beast is known as a Chernabog, and it appears that this demon, or winged bat… whatever it is, is looking for the evilest among us. The Sea Witch says that it feeds on evil, which is why it attacked us earlier. Or me, rather. It's clearly after me. I am the Evil Queen after all."

_Emma thought for a moment and then she answered fretfully, "R__egina, I'm not sure it's after you."_

_ "Of course it's after me," the former Evil Queen curtly retorted. "Ursula said it devours the heart with the darkest potential. And now that Gold's gone… Well, who else could that be? I mean… is there a dwarf named evil-y? It's me."_

"You're not exactly the only villain around here, and you weren't the only villain standing on the street earlier when this hell beast attacked us all," Hook apprehensively responded. "I was there too, remember? It could have been after either one of us."

_Emma immediately replied to the both of them steadfastly, "We're not gonna just sacrifice you. Either of you."_

_ However, Regina snapped again crossly, "I'm not sure we have much of a choice."_

_ "That thing's magical, right?" the Savior then answered back, once a notion she should have thought of sooner suddenly dawned on her._

_ "I would say 'magical' is a pretty good guess," the Mayor responded out of frustration._

_ Emma nodded and continued, "So if it's magic... what happens if it leaves town for a world with no magic?"_

_ When she realized what her friend was saying, Regina stated firmly, "No magic… no beast."_

_ "So all we have to do is lead it over the town line," the Savior replied again, sounding more hopeful than she did moments before._

_ "The Chernabog withstood both of our powers combined," the former Evil Queen retorted once more, as she felt far less confident in Emma's plan. "Even if I poof myself to the town line, the second I'm out in the open, it'll crush me like a bug."_

_ However, Emma assured her, "Not if you've got some help. Trust me."_

Regina sighed out of worry, just as David and Mary Margaret walked up on them and then upon overhearing their daughter asking Regina to trust her with something, Emma's mother asked her daughter curiously, "Trust you with what? Is this about that beast that attacked earlier?"

"I take it you've come up with a plan then," David said to them strongly. "What can we do to help?"

"Nothing actually," Emma anxiously answered him, knowing that her parents weren't gonna be so okay with her plan. "Regina and me are gonna lure it away from town once we find it again, then force it across the town line where it can't exist without magic."

The Mayor finished for her friend, "Since we suspect this winged creature is after me, I get to be the bait and if I'm right… and I really think I am, then it will chase after me."

Mary Margaret looked at Emma and her friend in confusion and with worry as she questioned, "What makes you think this thing is after you?"

"Because Ursula and Cruella told us so," the Savior sternly responded once more, as both David's and Mary Margaret's eyes immediately grew cold at the mention of the villainesses' names. "They're here. At the town line, seeking entrance into Storybrooke with hope of finding redemption. We don't know whether or not we can trust them, but they wouldn't tell us how to defeat the Chernabog without our consideration at the very least. If their information actually pans out…"

"Emma… you can't let them in," her mother brusquely interrupted her before she could finish. "Those women… they're evil and I can promise you that they're not really here for redemption."

Killian looked between the Princess and her Prince as he spoke again in agreement saying apprehensively, "I said the same thing. I don't want them here anymore than you do, because I don't believe they're here for anything good. But Emma's right. If allowing them passage is the price we must pay to rid the town of this monster that will surely destroy us if we don't agree to their terms, then… so be it."

Emma smiled at him lovingly when he turned his head to look over at the woman he loved as well, then she turned back to her parents again, as well as Regina and replied, "If they are lying and they're here for trouble, then we'll deal with them when the time comes. But first things first. It's time to go."

"Since he and his men are out searching for this monster, I'll call Robin and let him know we're ready as we'll ever be to try to defeat it," Regina said again as she stepped away from the others to make her call.

"Please… please be careful, Emma," Killian then whispered to her once he moved around to stand in front of the woman he loved, as he took her hand into his own and looked at her with worry. "You're the strongest and bravest woman I know, but… you're not invincible."

The Savior smiled up at him as she reached out to lay her free hand over his right cheek and answered soothingly, "I know I'm not. Try not to worry. I'll be all right. Regina and I know what we're doing and exactly what we're up against now. I'll be back before you know it. And when I am, we will deal with Ursula and Cruella, then you and I can have that talk. Trust me."

Her pirate leaned in to kiss her cheek and then he looked into her eyes once more as he responded gently, "Always."

With that said, Hook backed away from her and together, Emma and Regina ran off towards the Savior's yellow bug so that they could drive to where the archer had told the former villainess he had last seen the Chernabog flying around in wait, as both women hoped to be able to draw its attention onto them once again.


	11. Chapter 11

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Eleven

_Once Emma started to drive with Regina sitting in the passenger's seat in the hope of destroying the winged creature they know now as a Chernabog, it wasn't long before the monster found them before they could find it, and the Savior immediately began to drive towards the town line as fast as she could, then while it continued to roar behind or above them, the Mayor roamed her eyes around her friend's car until she finally questioned cynically, "__What made you choose yellow?"_

_ As she quickly glanced towards the woman beside her, Emma curtly questioned her out of confusion, "What?"_

_ "Your bug… Yellow?" Regina anxiously clarified for her as she continued, in an effort to take her mind off her fear of the monster now chasing them. "Bold choice."_

_ "I like yellow," the Savior retorted brusquely out of frustration over her friend's choice of conversation. "I stole it. Is this really the time to question my taste?"_

_ The former Evil Queen immediately apologized, "Sorry. I'm just trying not to think about being some demon's lunch."_

_ While looking through her rearview and side mirrors to keep her eyes on the winged beast behind them in between keeping her eyes on the road in front of them, Emma assuredly responded to her, "You're not going to be."_

_ "I'm glad you're confident," Regina replied worryingly, then all of a sudden, the Chernabog flew down and roughly landed on top of the car as it roared even more loudly and growled, causing her anxiety to heighten even more than seconds before. "What is this thing made of? Tin?"_

_ "Hang on," the blonde woman immediately answered her, without giving into Regina's ridicule about her car. "We're almost there."_

_ Emma struggled to keep her car on the road while the beast still hanging onto them continued to thrash and knock the bug around in order to get at the target in its sight, then once it crashed through the car's windshield, shattering the glass all over the two women inside, Regina spoke to Emma again fearfully saying, "It's too late. I'm not gonna let both of us die in this metal coffin on wheels. Thanks for trying, Miss Swan."_

_ All of a sudden, Regina vanished within her cloud of purple smoke to escape, while the Chernabog stayed on top of the car and attacked the Savior as she cried out, "What?! Regina!"_

_ However, as soon as Emma came into view of the town line, she immediately saw Regina once again, standing there in front of her, and the former Evil Queen quickly shouted at the winged monster to gain its attention, "Hey!"_

_ In the moment she did so, the hell beast screamed again at the former Evil Queen, and Emma swiftly slammed her foot down on the accelerator to speed up as fast as her yellow bug could go, then swiftly released the pedal, before she slammed down again on the break in order to force the monster off her car, as her move hurled it forward and across the town line, causing the Chernabog to suddenly burst into flames and ash._

The Savior stared ahead of her in shock and with disbelief, then finally allowed herself to release her breath she had been holding in since Regina vanished from the seat beside her. She let out a frustrated sigh of relief and then finally opened her door to get out so she could talk again with her friend now standing before her just in front of the town line.

"So, that didn't exactly play out like I expected our plan to play out," Emma grumbled to Regina out of frustration as she approached the Mayor, then she softened her expression before she continued. "I'm just glad that it worked. For a moment… I almost thought you were abandoning me."

"If I was still the Evil Queen, I would have," Regina responded to her and then she smiled. "I'm glad that worked too. That was some pretty fancy driving, Miss Swan. Nice work."

Emma smiled at her friend in return, just as David's truck appeared behind them as her parents, along with Killian and Robin who were standing in the back of the truck, drove up in order to make sure that she and Regina were alright. Once David brought his truck to a stop just in back of his daughter's car, Killian was the first to meet up with Emma again after he immediately jumped down from the back of the truck while he called out to her in worry. Robin jumped down as well and ran over to Regina, followed closely by both David and Mary Margaret as well.

While Killian looked the woman he loved over so he could make sure she wasn't harmed and then reached down to take her hand before she could lift it once again to his face to caress his cheek, he asked her nervously, "Swan… are you all right?"

She nodded as she smiled up at him, then whispered, "I'm fine. Just like I told you I would be. I promise. That monstrosity… whatever a Chernabog really is, is gone. It burst into flames and then turned to ash the second it crossed the town line."

"That beast may be gone, but we're not finished here yet," Regina said again to her friends, before she and the others then all turned towards the two villainesses standing next to the Panther De Ville roadster now parked not too far from the line, completely unaware of what just transpired within Storybrooke thanks to the protection spell over their town. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Which is why we shouldn't let them in," David firmly replied, making his own opinion over letting the women in known as well. "Mary Margaret's right… they can't be trusted. And it's not like you gave them your word that you would actually let them in."

In agreement with her husband, Mary Margaret adamantly continued, "They may have told you the truth this time about how to defeat that beast, but it doesn't mean they can be trusted. We don't know why they're really here. It may be that they're looking for redemption like they said, but we can't know that for sure. This is wrong, Emma. Please don't agree to this."

_Emma looked between her parents as she sensed something was off with them and then she suspiciously answered, "__Mom… this doesn't sound like you. You always believe the best in everyone."_

_ "I'm also a realist," her mother sternly responded again._

_ "Emma, she's right," her father stated again with the same conviction. "Things were just starting to get back to normal in Storybrooke."_

_ "You too?" Emma questioned him out of disbelief by her parents' attitudes towards these villainesses, especially given their normal belief that everyone deserves a second chance._

_ The Princess sighed, then she answered again, "Look… we don't know anything about these two."_

David added, "For all we know, they could be just as evil and twisted as Gold and Zelena, or even worse. Besides… they called you using Gold's phone, didn't they? Which means they stole it from him. That doesn't seem like the best thing they could have done in order to begin to prove their intentions to us, does it?"

The Savior sighed again in frustration before she looked again at Killian, who appeared to be just as nervous about allowing Cruella and Ursula into Storybrooke, then much to her surprise, he finally spoke again in spite of feeling apprehensive about his words saying, "If Emma believes we should give them a chance, then I agree that we should. After all… you all gave me a second chance, even though I wasn't deserving of it."

"No matter what you might think, Hook… and even though I was more wary than anyone about our decision to trust in a pirate, you have proved yourself worthy of the chance we've given you," Charming responded to the man he now saw as his friend, much to Killian's surprise. "We've all made mistakes we're not proud of."

"Including your mother and me," David strangely added with more apprehension than they had allowed everyone to see before as he and Mary Margaret both turned theirs heads to look towards Ursula and Cruella once again, making Emma suspect even more that there was something about her parents involving these villainesses that they weren't telling her.

As he looked over at Regina, Robin asked, "None of us may not like it, but do you feel we should give them a chance?"

The former Evil Queen looked between Ursula and Cruella too and then she replied, "If I wasn't given chance after chance for redemption, then I wouldn't be the woman I am now, and we wouldn't be together. So… as much as I wish we didn't have to, I think it's what's right."

"So do I," Emma said again in agreement with her friend. "Let's let them in. Regina… do you have the Snow Queen's scroll?"

"I do now," Regina answered her, as she swiftly magicked the scroll that Ingrid had used in order to find her way into Storybrooke years ago into her hand, then reluctantly handed it over to the Savior, who took it from her feeling the same reluctance. "I'm telling you right now… if they step out of line even once, the Sea Witch and that dog hater are going to regret our generosity."

Emma smiled at her before she too looked towards the women patiently waiting across the town line for them as well, then upon observing their appearances for a moment, she stated again, "You know… I've seen both the of the Disney movies their characters come from and I have to say, they look nothing like I would expect them to. Actually… Okay, Cruella looks pretty close to how I would expect her to look, but Ursula…"

Hook couldn't help but laugh, until he responded in jest, "I would think you would be well used to the fact that so few of us are hardly as the world sees us by now, Swan. And thank goodness for that. If I looked as I did in that rubbish you call an 'animated' movie, or even in that other 'live action' movie with me as its main character that your boy loves so much… surely you and I wouldn't possibly be together. Or worse… if you wished to be with a man who looked as the pirate in those movies did, you would have had to choose to date Black Beard instead. And if you had, you most certainly wouldn't be as clever as I believe you to be."

"Can we get on with this, please?" Regina impatiently replied once more, having grown tired of waiting around to let the villainesses into their town.

"Sorry," Emma answered apologetically for getting off track, then nodded to her friend to indicate it was time.

Regina nodded back, then without any further hesitation, she opened her hand holding tightly to the scroll and finally tossed it over the town line. Emma, Killian, Robin, David, and Mary Margaret, all watched on as she did so, then waited as they all turned their eyes on both Ursula and Cruella so they could observe their next move.


	12. Chapter 12

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Twelve

Remaining completely unaware of what just happened within the strange and magical town they would soon find themselves in, Ursula and Cruella continued to wait in the middle of the road, that as far as they knew led to just more of nowhere despite Gold's assurances that Storybrooke truly existed just a few feet away from where they stood outside of a magical barrier keeping them and everyone else from the magicless world out. At least… until the moment when a mysterious scroll suddenly appeared from out of nowhere after it was tossed onto the road from the other side.

Once it did, Cruella walked over and bent down to pick it up, then cautiously unrolled the parchment in order to read what was written on it. However, as soon as she did so, it wasn't the words on the scroll that mattered to her or to Ursula any longer, but the sudden appearance of those standing inside Storybrooke once it remarkably became open to them. Both villainesses smiled upon seeing their old enemies again, as well as a man who appeared to be an archer from the weapons he wore on his back, and the woman they could only assume was this Savior whom Gold had warned them of upon seeing her holding the hand of Ursula's oldest enemy… Captain Hook.

"Well… well… Hello, Darlings," Cruella De Vil spoke haughtily upon seeing the heroes now standing before them, then she looked over at the Sea Witch who stood beside her and nodded, before the two villainess finally stepped forward to enter Storybrooke at last.

"It is good to see that you have found some sense of honor, or at the very least… fair play, Regina," she continued, speaking to the former Evil Queen once she and Ursula crossed over the line into the town now before them. "I was beginning to wonder if you all decided to leave us out there in the cold."

Regina smiled coldly at her as she answered snidely, "At least you would have had your fur coat to help keep you warm. And Ursula her ability to adapt to the cold so easily, given that she's from a cold world somewhere under the sea."

The Sea Witch smiled darkly as well, then she responded, "Not anymore, I'm not. I haven't lived in the ocean for a very long time now. But let's not talk about my past. Thank you for letting us in. Whichever one of you made the final decision to do so. I can imagine that not all of you are too happy about us coming here."

"That's an understatement," David curtly replied, in spite of feeling more nervous than he already had been before these villainesses stepped foot into Storybrooke. "However, we're willing to give you both a second chance. If you're being truthful about seeking redemption here with us, and you don't try to hurt anyone, especially those of us you might still be holding a grudge against, then you can stay. But if you step out of line even once…"

"We understand your meaning, handsome," Cruella interrupted him before he could continue with his threat. "We promise to be good. And we appreciate you allowing us entrance into your town that Gold spoke so highly of. I promise… you won't regret it."

Regina let out a soft sigh in frustration, before she answered, "We better not. Welcome to Storybrooke."

Cruella turned around and started walking back towards her car so that she could drive it beyond the border and into town as well, while the Sea Witch paused a moment before following after her, as she looked darkly at Hook, who only gripped Emma's hand tighter upon sensing Ursula's hatred for him dig into him as if she were stabbing him with a knife, then she finally spoke to him bitterly saying, "Hello again, Hook. It's been a long time. I look forward to seeing just how it is a selfish pirate like you came to find yourself redemption. And from the look of things… love too."

"Hey… let's get away from here," Emma softly whispered to Killian so that only he could hear her, sensing his distress and worry over their decision to let Ursula and Cruella in from the moment that the Sea Witch spoke to him, then finally turned around to follow after the other villainess and got into the passenger's seat before they drove off towards the center of town. "The others can make their way back to town. Why don't you and I drive down to the harbor, then take a walk along the docks while we talk?"

"Sounds good, love," Killian appreciatively responded, then together they made their way back to Emma's yellow bug, got in and drove away before everyone else who remained at the town line, until they too followed suit to make their way back to town as well.

Sometime later, once they walked into the harbor just after night had fallen…

After they simply walked arm in arm along the docks for a short while in silence, as Emma continued to give the man she loved the time he needed to build up his courage to open up to her about what happened years ago between him and Ursula, Hook apprehensively began to talk at last when he said softly, "Back when I first met Ursula… she wasn't a villain. She was a young, innocent girl, who wanted to believe the best in people, including me. Even though I was a pirate. And I betrayed that trust in the worst way possible. It wasn't until I stole her happy ending away from her that she became one. Everything she's ever done, everyone she's ever hurt… it's all because of me. Because of what I did to her."

The Savior listened to him while she continued to hold his hand in her own and caressed the back of his hand with her thumb, then when he paused to collect his thoughts on how to go on, she gently interrupted, "Whatever you did, you made a mistake. A terrible mistake, but her actions after whatever happened aren't on you, Killian. You didn't force her to become the villain she is today. She chose to become a Sea Witch."

"You don't understand," he retorted more brusquely than he intended to be with her. "I'm sorry… But I've barely begun my tale. You may not be so forgiving once I'm finished. Nor should you be. I didn't break her heart, Emma. At least not because I had any kind of romance with her. I promise you, I didn't. However, I did break her heart when I took away the one thing that mattered most to her. Her voice… her singing voice, which was all that she had left of her mother. Ursula was once a mermaid, and as you know… they have the power to lure sailors to their deaths simply by singing out to them with the power of their voices. However, they also have the power to soothe a troubled soul for a short time, even one as troubled as mine. And that's what Ursula did for me back when we first met. At least face to face. The first time I heard her voice was when she nearly forced me to sail directly into some jagged rocks, until she suddenly stopped and her power over me and my crew faded away, allowing me to steer clear just in time to keep from crashing into them. I later learned that she never meant to nearly wreck my ship, but that it was her father's will for her to use her voice to kill any pirates who might have neared. However, she let us go instead."

"Later… when I came across her again in a tavern as she was singing for all the patrons to help soothe them rather than to use her voice for evil, we talked for over an hour about why she spared me and my crew and how she longed to get away," Killian continued again, after he took another moment as he thought back to his and Ursula's first meeting. "To travel to the land that was her mother's favorite place to sing so she could make people happy. She was singing in the tavern only to save up enough gold for passage. Because she spared my ship, I offered to take her there free of charge. At the time… I meant what I said. I truly wanted to help her because I was grateful. Not just for sparing me, but because she could do what no one's ever been able to do for me since Milah's death, until of course you came into my life as well."

Emma looked at him sadly while he spoke, until she asked, "So… what changed?"

Her pirate kept his eyes downward so as to avoid Emma's eyes while he regrettably replied, "Her father… He changed everything. Because I allowed my hatred for Rumplestiltskin and lust for revenge get the better of me. Just as I always have. He took away my chance for revenge, and because he did, I retaliated against him. You see… Ursula's father is God of the Seas. Poseidon. I knew that the best way to hurt a God, who is immortal and unkillable… was to take away the one thing he loves most. I took away from him more than just one."

Sixty or so years ago, within the Enchanted Forest…

Killian's thoughts fell back on that night while he continued to share his past with the Sea Witch. Upon Ursula's return from stealing the squid ink from her father like he had asked her to do for him in exchange for safe passage aboard the Jolly Roger, she met up again with Hook aboard his ship's deck with a sea shell in hand as he stood in front of her.

_"I trust that you didn't run into any trouble," Hook softly stated to the young mermaid with concern that she might have gotten into trouble for helping him._

_ "Nothing I couldn't handle," Ursula haughtily answered him as she opened up the shell so he could see the squid ink for himself before he reached out to take it from her._

_ Hook stared down at the vial in wonderment as he whispered modestly, "I've waited a century for this. I couldn't have done this without your help, Ursula. So, tell me… where do you want to go to first?"_

_ Unfortunately, Poseidon had suddenly appeared onboard the Jolly Roger without either of them or the rest of crew even noticing, then the God of the Seas responded furiously, "You're not taking her anywhere."_

_ "Stand down, men," Hook swiftly demanded of his men upon seeing each of the pirates under his command draw their weapons as they prepared for a fight. "This is between me and the Sea King."_

_ "No!" the God's daughter immediately called out in her own anger and then turned to face her father. "It's about me. Hook told me what you asked him to do. You were trying to take away the only thing I have left of Mother."_

_ After he looked over at the pirate Captain in disappointment since Hook refused to do like he asked of him, Poseidon turned back to his daughter again as he replied urgently, "So I wouldn't lose you the way I lost her."_

_ When he looked to the pirate again, he added angrily, "You may have fooled my daughter, but I know exactly what you are. You only care about one thing… your vengeance."_

_ "Now you'll never get it," the God cruelly exclaimed after he suddenly used the power of his trident to steal back the squid ink as it vanished from Ursula's hand before she or Hook could do anything to stop him._

_ "You have no idea what you've just done," Hook coldly grumbled once his chance for revenge had been stolen from him, as he attempted to draw his sword in order to strike down Poseidon, until the God easily froze the villain and his band of pirates in place to keep them from attacking against him and his own guards._

_ Hook seethed in anger while he glared darkly at the God of the Seas, who then questioned him coldly, "You dare attack a deity?"_

_ However, the pirate Captain sinisterly retorted, "I don't have to kill you to make you suffer. I know I'm not the only one consumed by vengeance."_

_ "No!" Ursula fearfully cried out in shock, when Hook swiftly turned to her while holding the shell out to her so he could steal what he knew Poseidon loved most to punish the God._

_ The shell's magic suddenly pulled the mermaid's singing voice from her throat until it became locked within the shell which he held tightly within his fist, thanks to the God having given it to him earlier that day so he could do to Ursula as he just did to help teach his daughter a lesson about the cruelty of humans._

_ "Now you'll never sink another ship with this," Hook then spoke cruelly to the God again, after he looked at the young mermaid guiltily for only a moment, until he remembered his revenge against the Crocodile._

_ "How could you?" Ursula hoarsely asked the pirate still standing between her and her father with bitter disappointment in him. "You said you had a code. You said you'd never steal my voice."_

_ The pirate fought against the guilt that surged strongly around his heart, as he brusquely answered her, "That was before your father destroyed my one chance at revenge."_

_ She glared at him while she responded angrily, "My father is a tyrant, but you're no better. Keep it. If this is what humans are like, no one deserves to hear it."_

_ "Ursula!" Poseidon sternly shouted out to his daughter after she pulled off the cuff from around her wrist that allowed for her to walk on land and jumped off the side of the ship so she could escape from both of the men she now saw as villains, then the God turned to face Hook darkly once more. "Give me the shell."_

_ "And give you the satisfaction of returning it to her?" the pirate Captain cruelly responded, as he threatened to crush the enchanted shell he held tightly within the palm of his hand, making it clear to Poseidon he meant it. "Now go. Before I destroy it, and everything you hold dear."_

Back in the present…

Once Killian finished sharing with Emma all he had done to Ursula and her father that night, he continued to refuse to even look at her while he whispered shamefully, "I didn't only steal Ursula's singing voice that night… I tore a father and daughter apart. Turned them against one another. Just one more sin I will never be able to make right."

However, a thought suddenly dawned on him and when he finally lifted his head so he could look her in the eyes, Killian spoke again strongly saying, "On second thought… perhaps I can. I have to talk with her. I just might be able to help her find her happy ending again. If I can get her alone… and convince her to… to work with me to…"

"Killian, no!" Emma suddenly cut him off sternly out of worry after she started to understand what he was thinking, then began to plead with him not to go through with whatever it was. "If you think Ursula is going to accept that you can restore her happy ending, you're mistaken. She's a villain who will hurt you if she's given the chance. You can't talk to her on your own. Please don't try, at least not without me there to protect you. Promise me."

"I promise," he gently replied to her, even though he feared this was one promise he might not be able to keep for her, should his notion be all that might stop the Sea Witch from hurting the woman he loved so deeply.


	13. Chapter 13

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Thirteen

Just after midnight, once most of Storybrooke was asleep…

Gold remained outside of the town line as he sat on a fallen log at the edge of the woods near where he had hanged his tie to find Storybrooke once again in wait, still hoping that the two villainesses would follow through on their end of their deal and return to let him into Storybrooke. If not, then all of his hard planning over the last six weeks will have been for naught. And while the Dark One hated having to rely on anyone, least of all on Cruella and Ursula whom he had once betrayed during their past dealings, he had no other options. If they betrayed him now like he half expected of them, then he was finished. And Gold couldn't really blame them if they did betray him.

The more time that passed, the more agitated and worried he became. Finally, midnight passed, and the magicless shopkeeper at last stood upon giving up hope that the two women were coming back for him, then slowly began walking away from the town line with his cane in hand out of defeat.

However, he took no more than a few steps, when the scroll Gold immediately recognized to have once belonged to the Snow Queen suddenly appeared on the ground behind him after it was cast out from inside the line. Upon hearing it clatter on the ground when the scroll landed, the villain turned around and stared down at it for a moment, before he finally bent down to pick it up, then carefully unrolled it to enact its magic. As soon as he did so, Ursula and Cruella, along with her Panther De Ville, magically appeared in front of him, and Storybrooke became opened up to him just like it been for them too.

_Once he could see them, the villain who loathed dogs and yet loved to wear their fur as coats smiled at him as she sneered, "__We're back, darling."_

_ The Sea Witch also spoke up as she added snidely, "You didn't think we abandoned you… did you, Dark One?"_

_ "Of course not," Gold lied as he looked between the two women still standing before him as they waited for him to join them. "We're a team."_

_ He then limped forward with his cane held tightly within his grasp for support until the moment he finally crossed the town line, and upon feeling his magic suddenly strengthen within him after he re-entered Storybrooke at last, Rumplestiltskin swiftly tossed his cane away now that he no longer needed it as he continued to walk swiftly without his limp, while Cruella stated smugly, "Nice duds. Now what do we do?"_

_ "Now we begin our task," he steadfastly replied, as he used his dark power to poof the three of them on the street in the center of town, while he magicked Cruella's roadster back to where it would remain safely parked until the next time she drove it._

_ "It's simple, really," he continued on after doing so. "Continue to repent your wicked ways. Make friends. Build relationships."_

_ Cruella questioned him again in frustration, "And just what will you be doing?"_

_ While they kept walking, Mr. Gold responded confidently, "I'll continue my work behind the scenes, of course."_

_ "Sounds like we're doing everything, again," Ursula crossly answered._

"Just how is it you think we got in here?" the Dark One then asked her and Cruella when he stopped, as both women turned around to face him once more. "If you might recall… I do believe all of this has been possible because of me. Because of my plan to get us inside Storybrooke so we can finally take what we deserve. Our happy endings. Without me, you both would still be stuck out there in a world without magic, living your crappy lives. You're welcome, dearies."

_The Dark One looked at their surroundings as he and the other villains continued walking again while he added arrogantly, "I ask you consider what I was able to do on the outside… at my lowest point… without magic. And then consider what I'm able to do in here. So maybe we should stop bickering and get on with it. So our team is one member short. It's time to reunite the band."_

_ Cruella uttered out of disbelief, "Y… you don't mean…"_

_ "Maleficent," Ursula grumbled upon feeling the same sense of disbelief as her partner._

_ "But she's dead," Cruella retorted with the sound of surprise in her voice._

_ Gold just shook his head as he replied, "Not entirely."_

_ Cruella looked over at him with confusion as she asked, "Well… just what does that mean?"_

_ "It means we have our work cut out," Gold responded. "Much to prepare."_

_ "I don't like it," the Sea Witch then expressed worryingly out of concern with their overall plan. "Dead or alive, we got a bigger problem… Regina."_

_ Rumple glanced over at her as he questioned, "And what makes you say that?"_

_ Ursula continued, "That beast was unable to defeat her. As bad as Maleficent is, Regina's dark heart is far worse."_

_ "You are so filled with assumptions," the Dark One haughtily answered her. "Regina is not the one we have to worry about."_

_ "What?" Ursula stated in surprise once more._

_ He smiled cruelly and then continued to explain, "That beast did seek out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness… yes, but it was wasn't going after Regina. It was after Emma Swan."_

Cruella looked at him in shock as she replied, "I don't understand… I thought you said this, Emma Swan… is the Savior?"

"She is," Gold responded to her once they finally reached the town library. "But a long time ago, the Charmings did something terrible to make it so that their daughter would surely grow up to be good, and without any evil in her heart. That is what they were doing with Maleficent's baby just before her baby, and the two of you, were all pulled away through a portal and forced to land out there in the real world where you've been living until today. However, just because she grew up without evil in her heart, and has become the Savior… it doesn't mean she can't come to be evil now. And that, dearies… is why we are going to finally be able to succeed in our plans. You see… for us to gain our happy endings, outside of just having to find this Author, we will also need to darken Emma's heart. And while that may sound impossible, I assure you… it won't be nearly as impossible as you might think. All she needs is the proper push. And I know exactly what her weaknesses are. And that is all to my plan that I have left out until now. What do you think?"

"I like this plan," Cruella maliciously answered at last as she smiled, then entered the library while Gold held the door open for her and Ursula so they could walk inside upon using his magic to unlock the doors.

The Sea Witch finally complied, "I like it too. And I do hope you're right about everything. You'll have to forgive me for being a bit more skeptical though. I mean… if this Savior was able to turn a treacherous villain like Captain Hook into a supposed hero, then I still have my doubts."

Once she walked past him, then turned back around to face him again after he too entered the building so they could all be off the street and away from any prying eyes, the Dark One quickly relocked the doors before turning to her as well, and nodded in understanding while he replied, "I can certainly understand your skepticism. Believe me… after having Hook seeking revenge on me for over two hundred years, I never thought it possible that anyone could turn him away from his vile lust. Let alone that someone was capable of loving him like she, and of turning his dark heart pure once more. And Emma Swan has done so. However, it's her love for him, as well as her love for her son and her parents, and her yearning to restore everyone's happy endings here that makes her weak. Trust me on that."

"I guess we'll find out," Ursula sternly responded, then watched him unlock the doors blocking the elevator. "What are you doing now?"

"Right now… I am going to make sure that Maleficent's ashes are where they need to be for when we're ready to bring her back to her true form," Gold answered her. "You two should return to your rooms at Granny's Bed and Breakfast, and continue to act like I've warned you of how you should act. We'll be in touch."

With that being said, both Ursula and Cruella left the library again, then the villain who remained, stepped into the elevator and made his way down into the caves below where the Savior had killed her just before she had succeeded in breaking the Evil Queen's curse a few years ago.

After he finished, as he summoned the ashes of Maleficent's dragon form together again into a pile on the rocky terrain before him, Gold returned to the elevator so he could make his way up to the library again. He then walked back outside and remained hidden within the shadows upon seeing Emma and Hook walking arm in arm towards the Charmings' loft, no doubt as the pirate was walking his love home before saying goodnight to the Savior. Once they were out of sight, the Dark One vanished in a cloud of smoke to his cabin within the woods where he would remain free and unseen by any of Storybrooke's residents.


	14. Chapter 14

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Fourteen

Early the next morning…

After yet another restless night of sleep, Killian left the confines of his room above Granny's, then walked downstairs and entered the diner to talk to Granny on his way out for the day. Unfortunately, the moment he entered the main room, he saw Ursula and Cruella sitting up at the bar as they were attempting to get Granny's attention so she could take their breakfast order. However, the apparent irritated woman was doing her best to ignore the villainesses who seemed to be just as annoyed with her in return in spite of their weak attempts to be cordial.

While Granny was busy cutting lemons behind the counter with her back to the Queens of Darkness, as David and Mary Margaret were sitting across the room in one of the booths keeping their eyes on the women, Cruella impatiently began to tap her fingers on top of the bar out of frustration.

_"__Uh, darling… how much longer for those drinks?" she finally questioned Granny once again, while Granny only continued to ignore her, irritating the villain that much more. "You know, if that old bag still wolfed out, I'd turn her into a coat for my collection."_

Killian watched them from the doorway in the back of the diner, as a part of him considered whether he should actually walk further into the room since he knew Ursula would no doubt have something to say to him, while another part of him wanted to walk over to join his love's parents for a few moments. But instead, he simply nodded his head towards David to show them he recognized they were there, then finally stepped forward and up to the counter to ask Granny what he had come down for.

"Good morning, love," he then called out to diner's owner once she approached him with a smile on her face upon seeing him come towards her, and just as he feared, Ursula and Cruella both turned towards him as well, while the Sea Witch closely studied his appearance. "I am on my way over to the convent to speak with Mother Superior, and I was hoping I might be able to pick up the fairies' usual breakfast order."

Granny sighed and then she responded sternly, "You know… it's good of you to want to try to make things right between you and the fairies, but I'm certain getting them breakfast isn't necessary. What happened was on Rumplestiltskin. Not you."

Killian smiled shamefully at her, then answered, "Aye. I suppose, but nonetheless… a little groveling can't hurt. Please, Granny."

"Sure thing," she replied in sincerity, then turned from him so she could begin putting together the fairies' order, until she stopped a moment to glare at the villainess with black and white hair who was now glaring at her for being so quick to help someone else before her. "If you tried being as courteous as Hook here, people might be more willing to help you out. Even me."

"So I gather," Cruella snidely retorted in frustration, as Granny walked away and entered the kitchen so she could talk with the cook in the back.

In the meantime, Ursula continued to stare at Hook, and then she finally spoke to him maliciously saying, "You're not looking too well this morning, Hook. You look exhausted. Sick even. Haven't been sleeping, I gather? Have you been wounded recently? Because you're bleeding out a little. Your shirt's blood stained."

Killian looked down on himself and noticed that she was telling the truth, as he saw that he was bleeding out from the wound in his side, having apparently pulled a few of his stiches sometime during the night. However, he shrugged it off and ignored the pain as he swiftly pulled his leather jacket over the wound and zipped it up in order to be able to hide it from everyone else, then turned towards the Charmings.

He started to walk towards them to join them for a moment, until Ursula called out to him again, "Hey! On your way to the convent so you can confess your sins? Hopefully this… Mother Superior will have lots of time on her hands. Surely it's gonna take awhile to confess to all the treacherous things you've done in your long life."

When he could see that Ursula's taunts were hurting him, David started to get up from his table so he could defend his friend, until Killian quickly raised his hand and motioned for him to stay put, then turned away from everyone as he took a seat at the end of the bar to wait for Granny to finish with the order, no longer being in the mood to speak with anyone until he saw the Blue Fairy.

At last, Granny returned with the bags of food that she packed together into one larger bag in order to make it easier for Hook to carry it all, as well as the drinks with his one hand and hook. Once he gathered everything in his arms, Killian left the diner without another word to anyone.

"For the last time, Sea Witch… leave Hook alone," David firmly warned Ursula, as well as Cruella in hope of getting them both to behave like they promised they would upon the heroes' agreement to allow them into their town. "In fact… leave us all alone and try harder to do as you both said you would. You can't be villains anymore if you have any hope of staying in Storybrooke."

"You have our word," Cruella snidely responded. "We'll be good."

_David returned to the table where Mary Margaret remained while she continued to glare at Ursula and Cruella, until Regina and Henry walked into the diner to join them, and the Sea Witch smiled upon seeing her as she called out to her old friend, __"Regina! We could use a heart rip over here. Granny needs a little encouragement in taking our order."_

_ While Regina pulled her son protectively behind her, the dog hating villain haughtily added, "Yes… a very effective tactic. Didn't you once rip out the heart of every villager in the north woods?"_

_ "Or was it the south?" Ursula continued, then chortled __as they turned back to Granny when she finally set down a couple of cups of coffee in front of the two villainesses, one of which contained a touch of gin for Cruella just like she requested, in spite of it being so early in the morning._

"Thank you, darling," Cruella said snidely without any true sincerity. "Much appreciated."

_The former Evil Queen then turned to Henry as she whispered, "__Uh… why don't you head to my office. Get started on the book?"_

_ The teenager nodded and then he answered quietly, "Sure. Make sure to get chocolate frosted doughnuts, not chocolate doughnuts, okay?"_

_ "Mm-hmm," she mumbled assuredly with a smile as she patted his cheek, before Henry turned and walked back out to leave so he get working again on Operation Mongoose, then Regina turned back to face the women who attempted to goad her into getting angry just like they had done to Hook. "Let me be clear, ladies. If you bring up my former sins around my son again, you'll find yourselves across that town line faster than you can say 'costume jewelry'."_

_ "These are blood diamonds, I'll have you know," Cruella offensively replied as she laid her hand over the bracelets she wore around her left wrist._

_ However, Ursula stood up from her stool to leave while she urged her partner to do the same as she stated, "Come on… let's take our business elsewhere."_

_ Once the Queens of Darkness were finally gone, Regina finally joined her friends in their booth and sat down across from them, then David spoke to the Mayor as she asked, "So what's the plan here?"_

_ "To deal with our... latest crisis," Mary Margaret sternly added._

_ "Those two might be tactless morons, but… They couldn't magic their way out of a paper bag," Regina confidently responded despite her rising frustration over them being there among them all. "I wouldn't worry. And they're here to seek redemption."_

_ The Princess looked at her stepmother as she questionably asked in disbelief, "You don't actually believe that?"_

_ The Queen looked between her and her Prince while she answered, "If I didn't think it was a distinct possibility, I wouldn't have let them in town in the first place."_

_ "Now that they're here, we have to be certain, which means keeping eyes on them twenty-four, seven," David strictly replied._

_ "Which sounds like a job for the sheriff's department," Regina retorted again. "I have bigger things to worry about."_

A short time later…

Killian finally arrived at the convent, then walked up to its doors and rang the bell once he set the bags in his left arm down on the porch in front of him so he could do so, before he struggled to pick the bags up again and took a few steps back to wait for the fairies to open up to him. Much to his relief, Tinker Bell was the one who came to open the door and she smiled upon seeing him there, even though she knew that things between her friend and her sisters were still strained from all that happened between them.

Tink spoke softly saying, "Good morning. It's not bad seeing you here, although it is a little surprising. Are you doing all right? You don't look well."

The Captain sighed out of frustration, then responded irritably, "People keep telling me that. But I'm fine. I brought breakfast. I know it can't make up for what I did, but I hoped it could at least help to ease the tension. I have to speak with Mother Superior. With the Blue Fairy. I need her help to help me free the old man and Zelena from the hat like Emma and Regina did for the rest of your sisters."

"You have no need to keep feeling guilty over what Gold made you do, Killian," the Green Fairy started to answer him gently, until Hook kept her from going any further.

"People keep telling me that too, but the truth is that I'm tired of hearing it," he crossly retorted while he stepped just inside of the foyer of the convent, before Tink closed the door behind him, then quickly reached out to take the drinks in his hand from him so he could have his hand free. "You weren't there in the diner that day, Tink. You were lucky. The others weren't. And I'm not finished until everyone is freed. But I need Blue's help. As well as yours and the other fairies possibly, if you're willing. Please, Tink."

She nodded and then motioned for him to follow her inside. Once Tinker Bell led him into one of the back room within the convent, Killian found the Blue Fairy inside as she and a few of the other fairies were putting together care packages for a few of those less fortunate throughout their town.

When Tink and Hook entered the room, Blue looked up at the pirate in surprise upon seeing him there, then she asked in concern, "Tink? What's going on? Is everything okay?"

The Green Fairy assured her, "It's fine, Blue. Killian… He's here because he needs our help. To help him free the old man he also trapped inside the hat. And… Zelena."

"Please… I know that Zelena might deserve to remain inside for all she's done, but we have other ways to imprison her that don't involve how I managed to do it because of Gold," he anxiously answered her out of worry. "And the old man… He was an enemy to Gold, so I've no doubt he's a good man. He didn't deserve what I did to him. Right now, I can't do anything about Ursula or Cruella being here in Storybrooke, until they prove themselves the threat I believe them to be. So I have to be useful in another way. I need your help. Whatever you might think of me, please… Help me free him."

"Of course we'll help you," Blue sincerely replied to him. "I can use the Dark One's dagger just like Regina used it to free us. If you can go get it from Regina, or from where it might be right now…"

Hook interrupted, "It was given back to Belle to hold onto. David and Mary Margaret were holding onto it, but Belle's been feeling concerned. More worried about the bloody Crocodile returning than usual. And I can't say I blame her. I've felt it too. She feels safer with the dagger in her possession, in case her instincts are right."

The fairies' leader nodded in understanding as she responded, "All right… then go and get it. And the hat, of course. I suggest you bring Emma, Regina, and the others with you too, for when we release Zelena. We'll need them to help keep Zelena from any kind of retaliation, and I've no doubt that she'll try."

"Of course," the Captain answered her, then started again towards the door to leave, until he looked to Tinker Bell again and nodded his gratitude, then turned back to the Blue Fairy as well. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied to him with sincerity once more, then watched the pirate leave the convent.

After Killian stepped out of the fairies' sanctuary, he started walking down the alleyway to cut through town faster so he could make his way to the Charmings' loft. However, he didn't make it much further, when a very familiar voice suddenly startled him as it spoke from behind him. Killian immediately spun around and came face to face with his darkest of enemies. But before Killian could react at all to seeing him again after these six months in which the Dark One had been banished, Gold swiftly rendered the pirate unconscious using his dark power to do so.

Once Hook was on the ground, the villain bent down as he knelt over his enemy and then looked in front of him for a place to hide Hook for as long as he needed the pirate out of his way so he could do what he needed to do next in order to keep his plan moving forward. Upon seeing a parked car that he recognized to be Leroy's, Rumplestiltskin used his power once again to open its trunk, magicked Hook inside of it, then slammed the trunk closed, all without stepping anywhere near the car. He then turned back towards the street, but before he left the alley, he suddenly disguised himself as his enemy to keep from being seen as anyone other than Captain Hook, and made his way to his shop so that he could talk with his wife.


	15. Chapter 15

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Fifteen

Once Gold took on the form of his oldest enemy, he continued making his way down the streets towards his shop while he passed a number of townsfolk, including a few of the dwarfs and even a few of Hook's former crew, none of whom appeared to see him as anyone other than the pirate Captain. Thankfully, no one stopped him to talk with him about anything of which only Hook might know. They all seemed too busy going about their own business, just as Gold himself was as well.

At last, the Dark One entered the pawnshop, where he saw Belle standing behind one of the side counters with his magnifying glass in hand while she was closely studying the magic lamp that once belonged to Sidney Glass before he was freed by Snow White's father, then used its final wish and became the Evil Queen's Magic Mirror long ago. Gold knew that his wife had been busy taking inventory of all the artifacts throughout his shop, so she could do her best to find the people of which each item belonged to and return them.

Upon hearing the bell above the front door jingle, Belle looked up and then smiled when she saw the man she believed was Killian enter the room and warily start towards her, almost as though Gold feared a little that his wife would see right through his disguise. However, she only continued to greet him with the same warm smile she's always had.

The beauty spoke first kindly saying, "Good morning, Killian. You're looking well this morning. Even the color has come back into your cheeks. You appear to have gotten some sleep last night. That's wonderful."

Gold smiled almost coldly at Belle's kindness towards the man he hated above everyone else, then he answered somberly, "Aye. Thank you. Forgive me for coming to you seeking help once again. It's just… I'm worried. With the villainesses coming to town, I fear they might be after the Dark One's dagger. They spoke of having confronted Gold somewhere in New York and leaving him behind there after he spoke to them of our town."

"But… you don't believe they were speaking the truth?" she questioned as though she had already begun to understand his concern. "You're worried they're working together… and that Gold is on his way here to join with them, if he's not here already."

"You've worried about him returning as well," he replied upon seeing her own fear come across her face and into her eyes.

Belle nodded and then she nervously responded, "I am. Do you really think he's here too?"

Gold comfortingly reached out to lay his hand down over hers that now rested on top of the glass counter in front of her, then he answered sternly, "I don't really know. But I fear, it's possible. And if I'm right, then he and the villainesses will come here for the dagger. Either he may come here seeking it for himself, or Ursula and Cruella could come here seeking to use it to control him, just like Zelena did. And I shudder to think of what all they might be able to do with the Dark One as their puppet. We need to hide the dagger somewhere they will never find it. You might have hidden it already, but Gold knows you well. And therefore, he ought to be able to guess where you've hidden it. We can't allow them to use the dagger's power against us. We need to hide it again, and lucky for you… I happen to be a pirate. Who better than to hide something of such great value, than a pirate like me?"

_Belle smiled at him again, then she asked worryingly, "__Do, uh… Do you know where you're going to hide it?"_

_ "The less you know about it, the better," her husband calmly replied to the beauty. "You won't see me again until it's in a place where no one will ever find it."_

"I suppose this is for the best," she responded to the man in disguise before her, then she turned towards a number of books carefully placed within the shelves behind her, studied the titles on their bindings, and pulled one down, before she turned to him again as she held it out for him to take.

"I've drawn a map to the area out on the beach where I've buried the dagger so that I would be able to find it again if I ever needed it again… in case I couldn't remember," she nervously continued, when Gold began to shuffle through the book's pages to find it. "You should be able to read it better than anyone else."

The villain smiled once he found the map and then he answered, "Indeed so. This was very smart of you."

The beauty shrugged, then whispered, "I hope so."

_"Thank you, Killian," she then spoke to him again in sincerity. "The idea of Rumple returning after… After everything that happened, I… I don't know what I'd do."_

_ "At least you don't have to worry about that now," Mr. Gold confidently replied to her once more, and yet Belle continued to stare down at the map now in his hand nervously, and he sense she was definitely still feeling uneasy. "What is it, love? Is something wrong?"_

She looked up into his eyes and then responded apprehensively, "I'm just worried. Just promise me, that Gold or those witches can't get to the dagger if they are after it."

The Dark One smiled at her as he answered, "I'm afraid I can't do that with one hundred percent certainty. But I can promise you, we are all doing everything we can to prevent these villains from succeeding in whatever their plans here might be. And making sure they can't get their hands on the dagger will help. Thank you, love. Try not to worry."

With that being said, Gold turned away from his wife and walked out of his shop with Belle's map to his dagger in hand without so much as another word, then after making sure he was alone and no one was watching him, he used his dark magic to poof himself out of town and to the beach so he could begin his search for his dagger that had been buried somewhere within the sand.

Meanwhile…

After they finished talking with Regina, who left the diner first to meet up again with her adopted son at her office, David and Mary Margaret left Neal with Abigail and Frederick who walked in a few minutes earlier and joined with their friends so they could look after their baby for them, then they left Granny's so they could go off to find Cruella and Ursula, then follow them around to keep their eyes on them like they planned from the moment the villainesses first entered Storybrooke.

It didn't take the Prince and Princess long to find the Queens of Darkness again, as Cruella was driving through town on their way towards what appeared to be somewhere out in the woods. David and Mary Margaret quickly got into his truck, then cautiously followed behind the roadster, far enough behind them so Cruella and Ursula wouldn't see them.

When they finally caught up to the Panther De Ville again after its driver sped up when it rounded a corner and disappeared from view for a short time, the roadster was parked at the bridge and the villainesses were nowhere to be found. David and Mary Margaret quickly got out of the truck and walked around along the bridge, looking for any signs of the Sea Witch or dog hater. Unfortunately, the Queens of Darkness surprised them, as Ursula suddenly wrapped all eight of her tentacles around the heroes.

"So sorry to surprise you Charmings like this, but… I'm afraid Cruella and I are gonna need your help for what we have planned," she then said smugly, while Mary Margaret and David both struggled against them. "You're going to help us reunite with an old friend."

"She's more like an associate really," Cruella replied when she walked over to stand beside the Sea Witch. "None of us are really friends. And we trust one another about as far as we can throw one another. But we trust each other more than we could ever trust you hero types."

Once Ursula squeezed her tentacles tightly enough around their enemies until they finally lost consciousness, the two villains struggled as they dragged their bodies towards the roadster and to lift them inside. After they finished, they made their way back into town, then with the Charmings in tow, they entered the cave beneath the library again and laid the heroes out on the ground beside Maleficent's ashes.

Nearly an hour later, Rumplestiltskin entered the cave to meet up with his cohorts and when he finally arrived, Cruella called out to him, "It took you long enough. What exactly have you been doing all this time, darling? You haven't been working on a side plan that will ultimately result in you betraying us again, have you?"

The Dark One looked between the villainesses coldly as he pulled his dagger out from his inside coat pocket, then he responded haughtily, "On the contrary, dearie. I've simply been digging for buried treasure. My dagger will allow us to resurrect Maleficent, now that I see you've done your part to bring the last piece of the puzzle. Cut each one of their palms and spill a few drops of their blood into the ashes. The blood of the people who wronged her most. And then… we wait. Soon, our dear Maleficent will be back with us, and we can continue on with the rest of our plan against these heroes. The Author will be ours."

The Queens of Darkness quickly did like Gold told them to do as they swiftly cut David's and Mary Margaret's hands and allowed their blood to drip into the ashes, while the villain who came up with the villains' entire plan swiftly vanished once again in a cloud of black smoke before the Charmings reawaked and discovered he had returned. And in the moment they did, the heroes immediately backed away as fire suddenly erupted before them, and Maleficent in her dragon form was reborn from amidst her ashes. However, upon seeing those responsible for wronging her most lying on the rocky ground before them, as well as Ursula and Cruella, she quickly transformed back into her human form until she was finally standing before them all in her former glory.

_"It's good to be back," she exclaimed once she breathed in and out upon feeling her life force strengthen her newly forged body._

_ "Whatever it is you think we did, you don't know the whole story," Mary Margaret fearfully pleaded with the villainess as she loomed over them._

_ Maleficent answered darkly out of anger, "I know enough."_

_ Cruella stepped up behind their partner as she replied sternly, "Patience, Mal. We have a plan."_

_ "You wanna hurt someone?" the Princess urgently pleaded again in worry for her husband. "Well, hurt me. Leave David alone."_

_ "Hurt you?" the villainess wearing her black cowl scoffed when she heard what her enemies believed she might do to them. "No. That would be far too easy."_

_ Mary Margaret thought she understood then, and responded, "You're going to tell everyone what we did first."_

_ However, Maleficent scoffed once again, then she answered, "I don't care about your secret. You can keep it as long as you like. I only care about one thing… Your pain, and that it be as long and terrible and unyielding as my own. The pain you caused."_

_ "I forgot how much I missed her," Ursula smugly stated to her other partner also standing with her behind the resurrected villain._

_ "It's going to be entertaining," Cruella replied to her just as haughtily._

_ Without looking away from the Charmings, Maleficent continued cruelly, "I'm gonna revel in every torturous moment. And you? You're gonna watch your world crumble. See you soon, dears."_

_ All of a sudden, through Maleficent's dark power, the Queens of Darkness vanished, then Mary Margaret spoke out to David as she responded fearfully, "This is all our fault."_


	16. Chapter 16

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Sixteen

Nearly an hour after Killian left the diner so he could speak with the Blue Fairy and her sisters, Emma walked inside in the hope of meeting up with Killian that morning for breakfast once she finished taking care of a few things at the station. Knowing that he was an early riser even on his good days, the Savior expected to find him sitting in one of the booths waiting for her to arrive in spite of having no planned arrangements to do so. However, she didn't see him and it wasn't until Granny spoke up that Emma learned Killian had already left.

"Morning, sheriff," the old woman politely stated in greeting upon seeing her friend looking around the room for the man she knew Emma loved. "I'm afraid your pirate's already been through here and left. He ordered a bunch of food and drinks for Blue, Tink, and the other fairies, then went to go talk with them. Somethin' about wanting to ask them for help to free the old man and that witch, Zelena. Bad idea if you ask me, but I get why he feels as he does."

"Thank you, Granny," Emma gently replied to her and turned back towards the door to leave, until Granny stopped her as she spoke again.

Out of worry upon seeing Hook looking unwell and exhausted, she spoke more quietly saying, "I know this may not be my concern, Miss Swan, and he probably won't be too happy I said anything, but… instead of getting better, Hook is only getting worse. He was tired the other morning when we all were saying goodbye to Ruby, but now he's more than just exhausted. And it's clear he's doing everything he can to hide it. Especially from you."

Emma nodded and then she answered, "I know he is. Believe me, I'm not gonna let him keep going on like this much longer no matter what he says about it. But he also needs to free the old man and even Zelena from the hat if I have any hope of absolving him of his guilt that he's been holding onto since Gold first started manipulating him. Thank you, Granny."

"Sure thing," the owner of the diner responded to her, then the Savior finally left the diner.

Emma walked a ways down the street and then turned around the corner onto the connecting street which led to the convent. Almost immediately once she did so, she became surprised when she suddenly bumped into Tinker Bell because her mind was so caught up with worry for Killian, that she hadn't really been paying much attention to her surroundings in spite of knowing exactly where she was headed. The Green Fairy seemed almost just as surprised to see Emma too, but for different reasons.

"Tink… I'm sorry," the Savior immediately apologized to her friend for not seeing her before running into her.

The fairy smiled as she sincerely replied, "It's okay. I should have seen you when I turned the corner too, but I didn't. I'm actually glad to see you. Blue and I were wondering why you and Killian haven't returned yet with the dagger, and with Regina and your parents. But where is everyone? Where's Killian?"

The Savior looked at her friend worryingly, then with fear in her eyes, she asked, "I haven't seen Killian yet this morning. I just left Granny's to come and meet up with him at the convent because Granny said he was on his way to talk with you and Blue."

"He did," Tink answered with her own concern for her friend. "He left almost an hour ago to find you and the others. He wanted our help to free the old man and Zelena from the hat and Blue said we would need the dagger to do it, as well as you and the others for when we try to free that witch so she can't escape to wreak havoc afterwards."

"Something's wrong then," Emma curtly responded, just as David and Mary Margaret found their daughter and walked up to her and Tink, just as Regina, Henry, and Robin seconds afterwards too. "Ursula and Cruella's done something, and Killian is in trouble."

When she and David thought Emma already knew about the two Queens of Darkness raising Maleficent from the dead upon overhearing Emma mention the villainesses' names because of the guilt from their role in helping them to succeed in doing so, that also deafened them to hearing the rest about Killian possibly being in danger, Mary Margaret looked worryingly at her daughter as she questioned, "You already know about these witches resurrecting Maleficent?"

Regina curtly retorted, "They did what?"

"Um… You don't know, do you?" the Princess nervously asked upon seeing the look of surprise on Emma's face, ignoring Regina's brusque retort. "Right. Yes, well… they uh… We tried to follow Ursula and Cruella around this morning so we could keep our eyes on them. But your father and I… We lost sight of them for a bit."

"By the time we found them again, we saw Cruella and Ursula walking out from the library along with Maleficent," David continued as he regretfully lied about how they came to know of Maleficent's resurrection to avoid letting their daughter onto the truth about the terrible thing they had done before she was even born. "We don't know how they did it. But we can bet it wasn't without some really dark magic that they must have gotten from Gold somehow before they arrived here. If anyone knows how to bring back the dead… it'd be him."

The former Evil Queen scoffed and then she replied, "No… he can't. No magic can raise the dead. Once a person is dead, they're dead. Believe me… I know. If there was a way, I would have found it so I could have brought back Daniel. Whale was the only person who could get close to being able to bring the dead back, and we all know how well that turned out. No… if these witches really did succeed in raising Maleficent again… with or without Gold's help, then it's because she wasn't ever fully dead like we thought she was after Emma killed her."

Robin looked at her in confusion as he asked, "What do you mean? How can someone not be fully dead, if you killed them?"

"When I enacted the curse that created Storybrooke and brought everyone over from the Enchanted Forest, Maleficent was among those who became cursed… just like everyone else too," Regina answered her. "However, her curse was different from everyone else's. I trapped her in her dragon form. I cursed her to remain trapped in whatever form she happened to be in. I just didn't realize that in doing so, it would mean her soul wouldn't move on should she ever be killed. You see… just before Emma broke my curse, she killed Maleficent. Later, I learned that she remained trapped in the caves beneath the clock tower in her new mummified form. Hook knows this… I almost killed him when I used him as bait once. But of course he survived, and now…"

"None of this matters right now," Emma suddenly interrupted brusquely out of frustration and concern for the man she loved, and everyone turned their eyes on her. "Hook does. Killian is all that matters right now. Something's wrong. Tink said he was on his way to find me over an hour ago now, but he hasn't yet and he should have by now. We have to find him. Maleficent and the others can be dealt with later."

Even though David, Mary Margaret, and Regina didn't like it, they all nodded their heads in agreement, as did Henry and Robin, then Henry questioned, "Do you have something of Hook's that Mom can use to cast a locator's spell over?"

The Savior thought a moment and then shook her head as she responded regretfully, "I don't. Not on me. But we can go get something from his room at the diner, unless…"

"I think I can find him," she quickly replied when Emma turned to look at her, and understood right away what her friend was thinking. "My magic has certainly grown stronger since my wings have been returned to me once I started to believe in myself again."

"Follow me," the Green Fairy stated again after she took a moment to close her eyes while she concentrated on finding her oldest friend after their many years of remaining trapped in Neverland, before Tink finally opened her eyes once more, revealing to everyone that they were glowing green, then she suddenly transformed herself back into her fairy form, and flew up into the air. "I can sense him. He isn't far."

Emma immediately followed after her without question once Tink began to fly above her towards wherever Killian might be, while Emma's parents and son soon followed, as did Robin and Regina, who did so more reluctantly than the others did upon wanting to go after the Queens of Darkness more urgently. Even though Mary Margaret and David wanted to do the same out of worry because of Maleficent's threat she had made down in the caves, they were just as concerned about Hook, as well as their daughter if anything bad really had happened to him.

At last, they all reached the alleyway where Killian had begun to cut through, and once they all appeared at the end of the street to enter the alley, they were surprised to find each of the seven dwarfs, who were all standing around the trunk of someone's parked car as they were struggling to break inside it, until they all stopped and turned around to face their friends with surprise on their faces upon their arrival, especially upon seeing the sheriffs among them.

With just as much surprise upon seeing what appeared to be the dwarfs breaking into the car they were now attempting to keep hidden behind them, Emma questioned first, "What's going on?"

Grumpy glanced down at his car, then stepped forward as he answered anxiously, "I promise this isn't what it looks like, sister. This car here is mine. I'm only trying to get something out of the trunk, but the dang door is stuck."

"Killian," she swiftly whispered in fear, as she rushed forward and pushed through the dwarfs to get to the trunk herself so that she could also do everything she could to get its door open.

"What are you doing?" Happy asked their sheriff in confusion while she continued to struggle to open it just like they had been, even with the keys that were already in the lock when she reached it.

Tinker Bell spoke up for Emma worryingly once she became big again saying, "We believe Killian is trapped inside the trunk of your car. I used my magic to try to find him, and if it's led me in the right direction, then he should be in there."

Upon seeing Emma continuing to struggle to get the trunk's door open, Regina finally stepped forward to help and pulled Emma back while she said quietly, "Allow me."

"This trunk isn't just stuck," she then added again once she waved her hand over the door in order to try to open it with magic. "It's been sealed by magic. Dark magic. The only ones capable of wielding it here, at least those of who might want to hurt Captain Guyliner are Maleficent and…"

"Ursula," Emma curtly retorted in anger. "Can you get it open?"

Regina nodded as she responded, "I should be able to. It's powerful magic. It's gonna take me a few minutes."

The Savior looked at her as she replied firmly, "Then do it. Please."

The former Evil Queen simply nodded again and then continued to concentrate as she used her own power to break through the dark magic keeping the trunk sealed shut. The dwarfs all moved back to join with their leaders and friends, while Emma only stepped back a few steps to give Regina enough room to work, but she stayed close by for when she finally succeeded in getting the trunk open again so she could help Killian as soon as she did.

Thankfully, Regina was true to her word as the magic seal finally lifted, allowing for the car trunk to spring open at her will. Once it did so, Emma immediately rushed back to the trunk when she saw Killian lying unconscious inside, then leaned over him while she carefully used her own power to try to wake him, using her magic to also make sure he wasn't hurt any more than from what she knew were his previous wounds, one of which she could now see had begun to bleed out again upon him seeming to have ripped his stitches.

No longer being willing to allow Killian to suffer from his unhealed wounds on account of his guilt, the Savior carefully healed them in spite of what he believed he deserved, then continued to waken him from the magic keeping him out cold. At last, the dark magic wore off and her pirate finally began to come to. When he could open his eyes, Killian could hardly see the woman he loved looking down on him due to seeing more of a blur until the fog eventually lifted away.

"Hey… Killian, it's okay," she whispered as she worked to calm him by laying her hands along his cheek and over his chest once he immediately became agitated after suddenly remembering what had happened to him, while he also realized he no longer felt any pain like he should be feeling, then looked down and felt for the wound in his stomach he now knew was no longer there. "It's okay… I healed you. You were hurting so much and after finding you like this… locked inside this trunk after someone put you in here…"

"Aye, love… it… it's fi… fine," Killian stuttered out of panic and in fear. "Gold… the bloody Crocodile… He did this to me. He's returned. He's in Storybrooke."

Mary Margaret looked down on him in disbelief as she uttered, "But that's… not possible. He can't be back? How could Gold have possibly gotten back into Storybrooke with Ingrid's protection spell still up?"

Regina grumbled crossly, "Because those witches brought him here and helped him get back in. Most likely the same way we let them in. With the Snow Queen's scroll. I should have remembered to take it away from them again once they were across the town line. They lied to us! About everything."

"We have to… We have to find them then," Killian weakly answered, while he struggled to pulled himself up to get out of the trunk, with Emma's help.

"Not right now, we don't," the Savior strongly responded once the man she loved was back on his feet, while he stood shakily beside her after she pulled his arm over his shoulder and then kept a firm hold of him upon wrapping her arm around him to help keep him steady.

However, Killian objected, "Finding Gold can't wait, Swan. Whatever he's after… the dagger. He'll be after the dagger. We have to stop him. Belle might be…"

Emma finally cut him off as she replied, "We'll make sure Belle's all right. And once we see that she's fine, which I'm sure she is, we're gonna head back to the convent to talk with Blue about seeing what we can do about freeing the old man and Zelena from the hat."

"Finding the Dark One and those witches are a priority now, Emma," Killian worryingly answered her more adamantly once he pulled himself free of Emma's hold on him. "They've proven themselves to be a threat just as I've feared them to be. We have to stop them from whatever they have planned."

"It's already too late for that," David reluctantly responded, as the Captain turned his head to look at him. "He already must have helped Ursula and Cruella to raise Maleficent. In which case… he must already have the dagger too."

Regina let out a loud sigh in frustration, but Emma ignored her as she looked at Killian again and then replied, "Right now, we have no idea where Gold and these villainesses are. And so far, they haven't made an attempt to attack us, other than when he knocked you unconscious and locked you inside this trunk."

Grumpy crossly retorted, "Isn't that enough for you? Who knows what else he's up to now?"

"Grumpy's right," Sneezy added in agreement, then suddenly sneezed again before he could say whatever else he was about to say.

"He's trouble and he needs to be stopped before he can do something more than simply knocking Hook here out cold," Happy continued for him.

All of the dwarfs nodded their heads to show they all agreed, until Emma finally spoke out again more calmly saying, "I agree that Gold is trouble and he needs to be stopped before he or the witches can do anything to hurt us, but we can't do anything until they make the first move, which is when they will show their hand. We all know that we won't be able to find him unless Gold wants us to. Until they attack, there's nothing we can do. Except we can free an innocent man from the hat where Gold imprisoned him. Zelena too. Killian has been suffering from the guilt of what Gold made him do under his control long enough. We're gonna help him first."

Killian started to object once more as he tried to assure her that what he wanted didn't matter, until Emma turned to look at him adamantly in order to show him she meant what she had said, then she continued, "We're doing this. Besides… freeing them from the hat is one way to show Gold that he can't keep us down for long. We always come back fighting, and we will win."

"Aye," he finally relented in spite of being reluctant to not seek the Dark One out. "But if he does have the dagger… The Blue Fairy said that she needs it in order to free them."

"Not necessarily," Tink then said again, and everyone turned to look at her. "I mean… it isn't the only way to free someone from the hat. After you left, Blue and I did a little more research of our own and we discovered that we can free the old man and Zelena from the hat, so long as we have something of importance belonging to whoever we're trying to free."

Regina shook her head and then retorted again, "Look… we can find a way to free the old man, whoever he might be, but my sister… I'm telling you, it's a bad idea. She deserves to rot inside that hat after what she's done. I suspect it's a much better prison than any of the cells beneath the hospital could ever be."

Emma looked at Killian again when he lowered his head and stared down at the ground out of shame, then she turned back to Regina again as she answered stubbornly, "No. No, we have to free her too, and then we can return her to her cell. Zelena might deserve to spend eternity trapped inside of the hat after all she's done, but Killian shouldn't have to keep carrying the guilt over having been the one to put her there. It isn't fair to him."

"Emma's right," Robin steadfastly responded in agreement. "Zelena may have wronged all of us at one point, but no more than she's wronged me and Roland after she killed Marian in the past, then took on her form to trick us so she could split up Regina and me. And as much as I want to see her pay for her crimes against us all, I prefer to help Killian even more. He doesn't deserve to feel any guilt for imprisoning even Zelena. And if freeing her will rid him of such guilt, then it's right that we should do so."

"Thank you, mate," Killian replied to him with sincerity as their eyes met, to which the archer simply nodded.

Finally, Regina nodded, then she stated, "Then… I'll go grab her pendant, and meet you back at the convent."

However, Hook quickly answered, "Wait… meet us at the old man's home instead. It's where I brought his broom that Gold used to track him down. That broom might be enough to help the fairies free him. If not… perhaps something else there might. But first we have to check on Belle."

"All right," the former Evil Queen responded, then vanished to do as she said she would.

"And I will return to talk to Blue, to let her know where to meet you too," Tinker Bell added, when she once again became small, then flew off.

David, Mary Margaret, Robin, and Henry all started to walk on ahead towards the pawnshop, while Killian stood back once Emma turned around to face him when he whispered gently, "Thank you, Emma. But should Gold attack…"

The Savior raised her hand and tenderly rested her fingers against his lips to cut the man she loved off, then she replied lovingly, "He won't. And if he does, then it certainly won't be your fault. Whatever Gold's plans are… whatever he needs Ursula, Cruella, and now Maleficent for… I promise you, we will stop them. Good always wins, remember? We will win against them this time too. We just have to be patient and wait for him to make his plans known. And he will, Killian."

"Okay," he finally answered, choosing at last to believe in her as he always has.

"Okay," she responded with a smile while she continued to caress his cheek, then took his hand and together, they followed after the others.


	17. Chapter 17

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Seventeen

Inside Mr. Gold's pawnshop…

In the back room, Belle was busy carefully looking over some papers she had found among her husband's things. Papers she found earlier that morning when she had also been searching for another artifact that had once belonged to a man who had recently become nothing more than a friend to her since she had banished the man she still loved from Storybrooke. An arrowhead with nothing more than sentimental value belonging to Will Scarlet, until Rumplestiltskin had stolen it from the thief a few years before Regina's curse. Thankfully, she had found it as well, and was able to give the arrowhead back to him.

Upon the papers she was pouring over, the beauty discovered lists of people from whom many valuables and treasures were stolen by Jiminy Cricket's parents many years ago. A few nights ago, Archie had come to Belle asking for her help to find the lists he had long ago reluctantly delivered to the Dark One along with their treasures in exchange for gold on his parents' behest, with the hope of being able to return the stolen items to their rightful owners if he could now that Rumplestiltskin was no longer in the way of him taking back what didn't really belong to him. The owners he couldn't remember most of without the lists.

Belle was happy she was able to find what her dear friend hoped she could, and she stood up to leave the pawnshop so she could bring the papers to the doctor, until the bell over the shop's front door chimed, letting her know someone had come to see her. Unfortunately, the moment Belle walked out into the main room, she immediately grew tense upon seeing the Queens of Darkness standing before her, along with Maleficent whom Belle knew to be dead like everyone else.

Cruella sneered at her as she spoke tauntingly saying, "Hello, darling. It's nice to see you again after all these years. How long has it been?"

The beauty glared back at her as she responded coldly, "You mean, since you three kidnapped me so you could use me against Rumplestiltskin? Not nearly long enough. What are you doing here? You're not welcome in here, so get out! In fact… you should just leave our town altogether before you all regret your decision to come here so you can make more trouble for us."

"I can't leave," Maleficent bitterly replied to her as she stepped out from beside her two allies. "If I do, then I'll turn right back into the pile of ash I have been resurrected from. The magic here in this quaint little town is the only thing keeping me alive. But don't worry, dear. I didn't come in here looking for trouble. None of us have. All I want is what belongs to me. After I take it back, we'll leave. Just like you want."  
"What do you want?" Belle worryingly asked her, as she looked on the villainess with suspicion.

The woman in all black wearing a cowl made with horns on top of her head softened her countenance and then she answered sadly, "To you… it would look like a tiny replica of a staff I once held before it was broken by Regina. On its head, is a purple orb. It has no magic. It was meant to be a gift for my child that I never got to give to him, or to her… before my child was taken from me long ago. A baby rattle. I carry its other half with me."

Belle's eyes immediately softened as well upon feeling sympathy for the woman before her in spite of her being a villain, especially when Maleficent pulled off the bottom half of the rattle from the chain she wore around her neck and held it in her hand for the beauty to see. In that moment, Belle didn't see Maleficent as a villain, but as a woman in pain, who had been deeply wronged when the most precious thing to her had been ripped away from her.

At last, Belle gently responded in sincerity, "I'm so sorry. I'm afraid that I've never seen this rattle around here, but if Rumple has it… I will be more than happy to find it and return it to you."

She then looked between Ursula and Cruella again as she questioned, "I understand that the two of you confronted Rumple out in the world before you came here to Storybrooke seeking your redemption. I don't suppose he mentioned anything to you that might help me find it for Maleficent… did he?"

"You're in luck, because he actually did," the Sea Witch coolly replied with a lie. "We told him that not only did we wish to come here seeking redemption, but so we could try to bring back our dear friend here after he told us she had been killed some time ago. If it's truly possible for us to find redemption, then Maleficent deserves it as much as we do. Your Rumple believed that us finding her daughter's rattle for her might be a good first step in making restitution."

"The Dark One told us we would find it inside a small wooden box lined with gold around its edges, that has a symbol for Mal engraved into its center atop of the lid," Cruella added. "I don't suppose you've seen such a box around here… have you, darling?"

The beauty looked at the lower half of the rattle more closely and then began to look around the room among the shelves surrounding her covered in a number of books, papers, and things her husband had collected long since becoming the Dark One, while she answered, "I think I have. I just have to try to remember… where I might have seen it."

She continued to search the shelves, until she finally came upon the box described to her perfectly by its rightful owner, partially buried beneath some papers and a golden candlestick that laid on top of it since it had been knocked over, most likely in one of her earlier searches around the room.

Upon seeing an engraving of her horns, as well as the gold metals adorning the box once Belle picked it up, Maleficent turned to face her again, then her eyes became cold while she held her hand out to the beauty and commanded angrily, "Give it to me!"

"It's yours," Belle kindly responded to the villainess in spite of Maleficent's darkness once again coming out upon her forceful command, then gently laid the top of the rattle into the palm of Maleficent's hand. "With no price attached. I'm not Rumplestiltskin. I'm so sorry it was ever taken from you."

"Thank you," Maleficent then replied to the beauty in sincerity for her kindness, much to her surprise that Belle was being so kind to her and understanding despite their dark past. "It's good of you to be so magnanimous."

The beauty smiled at her once more, then looked once again between the other two villainesses still standing behind Maleficent with more concern upon seeing them smiling back at her with smugness and cruelty, until they turned and walked out of the shop first, followed by Maleficent.

Once they were outside again, as they started walking down the street, Cruella spoke again snidely saying, "Well… Your sad tale immediately melted away any contempt that maid held for us. At least any she's held against you, Mal, darling. She clearly still holds malice against Ursula and me."

"Can you blame her?" Ursula answered her. "You did after all… lure Rumple's love away with a cute little puppy you stole away from some small child living in the village not far from the Forbidden Fortress. And I did nearly choke the life out of her with my tentacles. I'm surprised she was as civil as she was, even towards us. She really is a goody two shoes. It's sickening."

"It doesn't matter," Maleficent said once more, as she started walking on ahead of the other two women griping about the woman loved by the other villain working as their ally. "It's time to meet up again with Rumplestiltskin in that cabin in the woods he told us about, so we can discuss the next step in his plan. Just like you two… all I want is my happy ending and that's to find my child after all these years. Rumple's maid can't help us anymore. Only the Dark One can. So, come on."

With that said, Maleficent suddenly waved her hand to poof herself and the two other villains surrounding her out into the woods where they expected to find a cabin where Mr. Gold was hopefully waiting for them to join him, as the Queens of Darkness swiftly vanished within a cloud of black smoke.


	18. Chapter 18

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Eighteen

Before the heroes reached Gold's shop, Henry stopped walking alongside side his mother, grandparents, Robin, and Hook as he quickly told them he wanted to return to the mansion so he could continue his search for the Author and through the blank books he found inside the hidden room, then he ran off after Emma nodded her head to let her son know she was fine with him leaving to do so. Once the teenager was out of sight, the rest of the heroes continued making their way through town until they finally rounded the corner beside the pawnshop, just in time to see Maleficent, Ursula, and Cruella vanish.

They all froze in place upon realizing that the Queens of Darkness must have been inside the shop with Belle moments earlier, as Hook feared they might have done something to hurt their friend. He then pulled away from Emma and the others as he rushed inside the shop so he could make sure Belle was all right, while Emma, Robin, David, and Mary Margaret quickly followed after him.

"Belle!" the pirate Captain worryingly called out to the beauty when he saw she wasn't inside the shop's main room. "Belle!"

"Killian?" Belle then stated once she stepped out from behind the curtain once again after she had returned to the back room when the villainesses left, as she looked at Killian in confusion upon hearing his concern for her in his voice and seeing it on his face. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

He immediately let out a sigh of relief upon seeing she was okay, while Emma looked at the beauty and asked, "Are you all right? We saw Ursula, Cruella, and Maleficent walking away from the shop just now. Did they threaten you? Or take anything?"

Belle shook her head as she answered assuredly, "They didn't take anything, except for what I gave to Maleficent. They came in here because Maleficent was looking for something that belonged to her, before I suspect Rumple stole it away from her. A broken piece of a baby rattle that belonged to her child. I'm just fine."

"Thank the Gods," Killian softly uttered, then looked to Emma for strength, knowing that it was time to tell their friend that Gold has returned to Storybrooke as powerful as ever.

"Belle… I'm afraid there's another reason why we're here," the Savior then spoke to the beauty for him once she squeezed Killian's hand to offer him the comfort she sensed he sought from her. "Gold's come back. He's here, somewhere in Storybrooke. Although, we don't know where. Cruella and Ursula didn't come here seeking redemption like they claimed. They're here to wage war against us. And they helped Gold get back in so they can all get their revenge against everyone they feel have wronged them. Everyone's in danger. Did any of them say anything about Gold, or let slip anything about their plans here?"

The beauty lowered her head in despair and then she responded quietly, "No. I knew that Cruella and Ursula's intentions for being here were bad the longer I talked to them. I saw the smugness on their faces the longer they kept their eyes on me while Maleficent and I spoke. But Maleficent… I actually thought I might have gotten through to her after I gave her back her child's rattle. She was surprised that I offered it back to her without a price like Rumple would have charged her for it. And for a moment… she actually looked grateful, and happy. They didn't say anything about Rumple, other than that he had described the box containing the rattle to Ursula and Cruella when they spoke in New York so I could find it for them."

Finally, Mary Margaret spoke as she looked at Belle again and said anxiously, "I suppose none of that really matters. We need the dagger back. So we can take control of Gold before he and these Queens of Darkness can make another move against us, and stop them."

_"But I… I don't have the dagger anymore," the beauty fretfully replied as she looked between her friends before stopping her eyes on Hook. "I gave it to Killian. Or rather… I gave him a map that led to where I buried it in the sand out on the beach. Killian came to me earlier this morning asking me for it."_

_ "__After the lifetimes I spent searching for a way to destroy the Dark One, I'm pretty certain I'd remember holding that dagger in my hand," Hook immediately retorted in his own defense once everyone turned their heads to look at him with suspicion, including Emma. "I haven't seen that cursed blade since you commanded the Crocodile to leave the first time."_

_ Belle struggled to grasp that she had somehow been deceived, as she continued worryingly, "Okay, well… if I didn't give it to you, then who…"_

_ Before she could finish expressing her worries, Emma interrupted, "You gave it to Gold…"_

_ "…Disguised as you," she added once she quickly turned to Killian again as well. "He's back, and so is his power."_

_ "Even when I didn't think he could deceive me anymore…" the beauty sadly answered as she lowered her head once again in shame. "He found a way."_

_ Feeling nothing but rage and hatred once again for the villain who has wronged him more than most, Killian glared darkly at Emma while he responded furiously, "Banishment was too good for that demon. We should have driven that dagger through his heart when we had the chance."_

_ She looked at him with worry as she replied to him sternly, "Then your name would be written across it."_

_ "It's a small price to pay to ensure the Crocodile wouldn't come back again," he answered once again in spite of Emma's first effort to quell his anger._

_ "I know you're angry, but we defeated him before and we'll do it again," the Savior lovingly whispered when she moved to stand in front of him and took his hand into his own, in trying to comfort him once more._

_ Mary Margaret then questioned, "Yeah, but the question is… how? We don't even know what he's planning.__"_

David took his wife's hand in his own as well, as he responded, "Like Emma said. These villains will make their plans known at some point. And when they do, we will do whatever we have to in order to stop them. And we'll do it together."

"Together," Mary Margaret replied as she smiled at him.

"We may not know what they're planning, but maybe we can figure out a way to find out where they're hiding, then come up with a plan to separate them and use one of them against the others," Robin Hood then said with confidence.

While Killian clenched his jaw as he listened to everyone talking around him, Emma then thought a moment about the archer's idea and answered, "That's not a bad idea. I doubt it will as simple as all that, but surely Regina could help us come up with something."

Mary Margaret nodded in agreement and stated, "Of course."

"I need to step outside to get some air," Killian finally muttered somberly upon feeling suffocated when he could no longer stand to hear everyone's assurances that they could succeed in defeating the villains threatening them, especially since his hope of freeing the old man and Zelena from the hat was once again put on hold, then he pulled away from Emma like he had before and started towards the door to leave the shop.

"Wait!" the woman who loved him called out to him worryingly once she immediately reached out to take his hand again in order to try to pull him back to her, until Killian pulled his hand back and stepped away from her even further. "Killian… we were going to free those trapped inside the hat. Doing so is still the priority."

Killian shook his head while he responded sternly, "It shouldn't be. It can't be any longer. Don't worry. It's fine, Swan. I'm fine. You all go do what you can to follow through with your ideas. Hopefully, you all can figure out a way. So long as they're free, they have the upper hand. I'm just gonna go for a walk to try to clear my head."

Emma kept her eyes on him as she replied worryingly, "You really shouldn't go out there alone. Each of the villains are out there somewhere."

"If Gold wanted to kill me, he would have rather than simply locking me inside the dwarf's car trunk," the Captain assuredly answered her, even though he didn't really believe what he was saying.

"It isn't really Gold that I'm worried about trying to kill you, Killian," the Savior sadly responded once more. "Ursula is the one I'm more worried about. You said it yourself that she's angry with you for whatever happened between you two years ago. That she is here looking for revenge against you."

In spite of Emma's pleas for him to stay with her, Killian looked at her again and then grumbled in frustration, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Even though Emma tried to object again, he finally left the shop without another word to her or the others before she could stop him like she had moments ago. She then let out a sigh in worry for Killian, and kept her head downward with her chin against her chest. She knew how much Killian was suffering from the guilt that's been plaguing him.

However, she also knew that he was right about it being more urgent for them to find a way to turn at least one of the villains against the others if doing so was even possible. Even though Belle said that the villainesses hadn't threatened her, Belle sensed from Cruella and Ursula that they were up to something more devious. And with them working with Gold to fulfill whatever plans they had in store for them… each of the heroes all got the same sense that they could no longer wait for the villains to make another move against them.

Robin spoke out of concern for his friend saying, "If it will make you feel better, I can follow Killian to keep my eyes on him for you. And if Ursula or Gold try to attack him, I will protect him."

"It would make me feel a little better, but I'm not so sure he would appreciate you spying on him for me," the Savior sorrowfully replied to the archer, as she reached up to rub the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "If I'm being honest, that's not really the biggest problem right now. I just want Killian to stop blaming himself for things that are beyond his control. He blames himself for Ursula becoming a villain and even if he did hurt her in their past, she chose to become a villain herself. And then there's the problem with the old man and Zelena still being trapped inside the hat. Killian may have chosen to help Gold willingly, but it was only because that monster manipulated him into it all, which resulted in him being able to rip out Killian's heart. But until I can actually help him, I have to put my worries about him aside. We have a job to do. So… let's head out to Regina's vault to meet up with her there. I'll let her know we're coming. Hopefully, we can figure something out with all of her magic, potions, and whatnot."

"You go," Belle then stated to each of her friends as she looked between them. "I'll stay here and continue to see if there's anything from Rumple's things that might help us put a stop to whatever he and these villainesses are planning. Good luck."

Emma smiled at her and then she answered, "Thank you, Belle. And… I'm so sorry. But try not to worry. We will find a way to stop them. Gold too."

The beauty nodded, then responded, "I know."

Elsewhere…

When the Queens of Darkness at last arrived at Gold's cabin deep within the woods after they vanished from outside of the pawnshop, the three women walked inside and became surprised to find that Gold wasn't alone. Unconscious, gagged, and bound to a wooden chair in the center of the room, was Geppetto. And a few feet away from him, lying unconscious as well within the armchair, was Pinocchio still in the form the real boy that the Blue Fairy had turned August back into some time ago when he died trying to warn the heroes about Tamara being a threat to them.

"What are they doing here?" Maleficent asked the Dark One when she turned her head to look at him with suspicion. "Don't tell me this old man is the Author?"

"No, no… of course not," Mr. Gold snidely replied to her with a cruel smile. "This old man is nothing more than a lowly carpenter and handyman. The boy… his son. But before this boy became a boy again through fairy magic, he was once a young man, who learned much in his many travels outside of Storybrooke. Including information about the Author. If anyone in this town knows where we can find him for us, it's this boy. However, the magic that changed him back into this boy corrupted his memories. Young Pinocchio here doesn't remember being the man he was before."

The villainesses all looked at the Dark One in confusion, then Cruella asked, "So, what is the point in questioning him then?"

_Gold pulled his dagger from his coat pocket while he said darkly, "You see, we're not gonna ask young Pinocchio here to remember anything… Because he can't. No amount of torture will work on him. But it will succeed on the man he used to be."_

_ Without another word, the Dark One carefully waved the blade over the boy as a soft glow of dark magic suddenly emanated around him, and when the glow faded away, Pinocchio was no longer sitting in the chair, but the young man seven years older than the Savior was, then upon seeing he was successful, Gold sneered cruelly, "Welcome back, August. Now… Shall we begin?"_


	19. Chapter 19

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Nineteen

Upon being awakened the moment the Dark One's magic transformed him from being the seven year old boy he had been a moment earlier, back into the thirty-five year old he had been when he had first arrived in Storybrooke to help Emma believe in the truth, August opened his eyes and stared up at Mr. Gold with surprise. Although he felt afraid upon seeing he was surrounded by villains, as well as weak from the change, he didn't let his fear show. Showing no emotion was something he had long ago become surprisingly good at keeping hidden from anyone he came into contact with. A skill he'd long since learned in his many years living out within the real and dark world full of temptations he was never very good at abstaining from.

Once Gold spoke to him as he welcomed him back, August warily sat up more straight within the chair, which is when he saw that his father had also been abducted with him, and in immediately becoming more worried for his father, he turned back to the Dark One as he grumbled angrily, "Whatever you want from me, you didn't have to involve my father too. Just let him go. Why did you take us? And why turn me back into my older self?"

Mr. Gold smiled down at him cruelly as he replied, "Because Mr. Booth… I need some answers only you as August can provide. That is… we need answers. And knowing that you wouldn't give them so willingly, I needed to bring along a reason for you to talk. Hence, the reason for your father being here too."

"What could you possibly want that calls for the torture of an old man?" the young man coldly asked the villain still standing over him. "That is why Papa's here, right? So you can torture him in order to make me tell you whatever it is you want to know? I know you're a heartless bastard, but that's cruel. Even for the likes of you. What do you want?"

"We need you to tell us all you know about the Author," the Dark One snidely responded to him, as he suddenly used his magic to transform the cushioned chair into a chair made of wood just like the one his father was bound to, then quickly magicked bindings around the man's wrists and legs as well. "And don't play dumb. I mean the Author of the storybook that you stole from Henry for a time so that you could add back in your own story by way of trying to help Miss Swan."

_August glared up at him again and answered stubbornly, "__I don't know anything about this Author."_

_ Without any hesitation, Cruella swiftly walked over to August with a knife in her hand and then forced it against his throat, as Ursula spoke out darkly saying, "Well, perhaps you could use a little incentive."_

_ "Oh… that knife is not gonna make me remember something that I don't know," he smugly retorted, unafraid of the villainess' threat because he knew they wouldn't do anything to hurt him just yet._

"We may not be willing to hurt you at the moment, but like Rumplestiltskin said… your father is here so we can torture him instead in order to convince you to tell us what we want to know," Maleficent calmly replied, as she placed her hand down gently on Cruella's shoulder to pull her back. "Do you really want us to show you we mean business?"

Cruella scoffed and muttered under her breath, "Why bother threatening the old man? I say we just go ahead and do it, then let this boy decide how long he wants to watch his father suffer."

_When the woman with black and white hair started to approach his father with the knife she had threatened him with moments ago, August fretfully responded out of fear, "Okay. All right. You know something? I actually, uh… do remember something about the Author. Um…"_

_ "Don't hold out on us," the Sea Witch curtly demanded once she grabbed him by the hair on the back of his head and gruffly yanked it back._

_ "W… when I was in Hong Kong, uh… before the curse broke, I met a mystic," the man once a boy made of wood reluctantly continued. "His name was the Dragon. I don't know how he knew about the book, but he had been looking for the Author for years."_

_ August then turned back to Gold when the villain questioned him again asking, "And what did this 'dragon' learn?"_

_ The thirty-five year old answered, "He died before I could ask."_

_ "Oh, well… that's something you two are about to have in common," the Dark One more coldly replied again when he took a few more steps towards August and loomed over him._

_ "And after he died… I took his research," August immediately added when he recognized the threat Gold was implying. "And I brought it with me to Storybrooke."_

_ Maleficent turned her head to look over at Rumple as well, as she asked, "Do you really think this man child is telling us the truth?"_

_ Gold continued to glare down at the man bound before him as he responded, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time he's lied to my face."_

"It appears I'm gonna have to collect his so called research," he said again after taking a moment to think, then questioned their captive again, "Where is it? In that trailer of yours still out in the middle of these woods? Or back with your bike now parked in your father's garage?"

"It's all with my bike," August lied. "You'll find everything you're looking for. Now let me and my father go."

The Dark One chortled cruelly and then answered, "No… no. Not just yet. You see… I know better than to believe a word you say."

Cruella looked over at Gold as she asked, "You're saying he's lying?"

_"The man's a born liar," he haughtily replied to her. "He never would have cracked so easily."_

"Whatever it is they want from you, do not give it to them," Marco at last said once he finally came to and adjusted to his surroundings, seeing the danger he and his once again full grown son were in.

August turned his head to look over at his father upon hearing his voice and seeing he had awakened, then whispered to him worryingly, "Papa. Are you all right?"

His father nodded and then responded assuredly, "I'm fine. Are you all right?"

"I've felt better," the younger man softly answered him. "I can't give them the information they want to know, Papa. I can't let them get their hands on the Author. It would be bad for everyone here."

"At least everyone they see as a threat to them," August continued again when he raised his head to glare between the four villains still surrounding them, until he turned back to face his father again. "But I can't let them hurt you either."

Cruella then forced her knife to Geppetto's throat this time as she spoke to him more angrily saying, "Which I will do if you don't talk right now. So talk!"

_Reluctantly, August replied once more, "I don't know what you're talking about."_

Maleficent held out her staff and emitted her magic that suddenly began to tighten the ropes keeping August's father bound, causing him to let out a weak cry, while August immediately began to struggle against his own ropes. Cruella stood tall again, then backed away in order to give her ally free rein to torture their captives. After a few seconds, she magically loosened his bindings again to give August another chance to talk.

_"The next lie is gonna hurt," Gold cruelly stated again to the young man bound before him. "What do you know about the Author?"_

_ "I already told you everything," August angrily responded like he had before, in spite of fearing for his father._

_ When Maleficent tightened the ropes again around Marco, Gold sneered down at the man's son as he demanded, "Try again, dearie. Where is he?"_

_ Even though the witch with horns continued to torture his father, August stayed strong as he retorted again, "I don't know."_

_ "Do not fool yourself," the Dark One maliciously snarled at the man child, as he leaned down so that he and August were then eye level. "I will get my answer."_

_ "Okay!" August at last shouted angrily, after a much louder and more painful cry escaped his father's lips, forcing him to give in to stop the villainess from hurting him further._

_ Once Maleficent stopped and loosened the ropes around Geppetto once more, the worst of the villains among them questioned August, "Where is he?"_

_ The younger of their captives looked up at Rumplestiltskin as he finally answered him reluctantly, "All right. I'm gonna tell you what you want to know. The Sorcerer, uh… trapped the Author behind a door."_

_ "The Sorcerer?" Cruella de Vil uttered with confusion as she looked over at Mr. Gold. "A door? He's speaking in riddles."_

_ "No… listen to me, Gold," August quickly continued to explain. "You know about the Sorcerer. You know I'm telling the truth. There was a page that I took out of the book. Had an illustration of the door on it."_

_ Rumple looked at him as he asked again, "Do you remember what the door looks like?"_

_ The prisoner stuttered, "Uh… Made of wood. Hand carved frame. Gilt in gold."_

_ "Where is the door?" the villain added._

_ "All I know… Is… it's somewhere in Storybrooke," August grumbled._

_ The Dark One finally chuckled and patted August's back, then he replied smugly, "There we are now. That wasn't so hard now, was it? Since the Sorcerer was the one who did the trapping, we will start our search for the door at his mansion."_

He started to pull on his jacket as he turned to one of his allies and said, "Maleficent. You and I have some searching to do. Ursula and Cruella… stay here with our captives. Make sure they don't escape in case this puppet has continued to lie."

"If we want any chance of finding this door, then we ought to do something to give us an advantage over the heroes," Maleficent responded as she smiled coolly. "A sleeping spell. It will put everyone throughout Storybrooke asleep, leaving no one to try to stop us."

"Except for those who have been under a sleeping curse," Gold crossly answered her. "In this case… that would mean Snow White, her Prince Charming, and my grandson, Henry. But with the Savior out for the count, I'd say one of your sleeping spells is not such a bad idea. Let's go. I know the perfect area where you can cast it from."


	20. Chapter 20

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Twenty

Meanwhile…

After he left the pawnshop, Killian continued walking down the street as he warily made his way towards the harbor. All he needed was to be alone for awhile so he could clear his head and try to let go of the anger he was feeling towards Gold, as well as Ursula too. The anger he felt wasn't doing him any good, and he knew that if he didn't do something to alleviate it, then it would eventually come to make him do something more he would regret. And he certainly didn't need one more thing on his conscience to feel guilty about.

Unfortunately, before he could get away from the main square, Archie suddenly called out to the pirate Captain from behind him. Killian turned around while the psychiatrist and his dog, Pongo came running towards him. He had barely passed Granny's Diner when Archie reached him.

"Killian… thank goodness I've found you," the cricket finally spoke once he was able to get his breathing under control from having to run over to catch up to his friend. "I've been looking for anyone who could help. Geppetto and Pinocchio… I think they're in trouble."

"What sort of trouble?" Hook suspiciously asked him.

Archie glanced down at his dalmatian when Pongo growled as if to heighten his owner's concern for their friends, then he looked at Killian again and responded worryingly, "They were supposed to meet me at my office for an appointment before we go out for lunch. But when they didn't show up, I got concerned. So I went over to their house and looked around Geppetto's garage as well, but neither of them are there. Geppetto would never miss an appointment with me without calling first. And I've known him for a very long time. This isn't like him. Something's wrong."

Killian immediately felt a knot rise up in his gut, telling him that if their friends were truly missing, it was because Gold and the other villains were responsible for their disappearances. He didn't know the old man or his son very well at all, but he did know them enough to know that they never would just leave Storybrooke without telling anyone. Especially with the Snow Queen's magic still in place protecting the town from the outside world and preventing anyone from getting back into Storybrooke.

As he considered his options, the Captain let out a quiet sigh and then he finally answered definitively, "Listen… go and find Emma, her parents, Belle, and Robin to let them know you fear your friends are in danger. They should all still be in Gold's shop. If not, then they may have left to talk with Regina inside her vault. They were talking about Regina possibly being able to come up with a few ideas to help us against these villains. They can help."

"What are you going to do?" the doctor asked his friend out of concern upon recognizing that Killian wasn't planning to go with him to find the others.

"Something that I should have done when I first learned Ursula arrived here in Storybrooke," Killian somberly replied to the man of conscience. "I'm going to try to right a wrong."

With that being said, Killian turned away from Archie and started running back to Granny's to return to his room so he could collect something he would need to do what he had planned. The doctor watched him run off with worry for him until Hook disappeared when he entered the diner, then with Pongo in tow, he finally started walking himself as he made his way to Gold's shop like Killian suggested he do to find the other heroes.

Killian walked through the diner as he ignored all those inside the dining room and rushed up the stairs to his room, unlocked his door, then quickly made his way over to where one of his sea chests resting on the floor at the foot of his bed. He knelt down in front of it while he unlatched his hook from its brace, then used the key carved into the end and inserted it into the chest's lock, identical to the lock within his safe inside the Captain's quarters aboard the Jolly Roger.

Once the lock clicked to indicate it was unlocked, he set his hook on the floor next to him and opened the chest, then began to shuffle through the maps, papers, and multitude of trinkets secured inside, until he finally found exactly what he was looking for. An enchanted seashell he had collected long ago during his travels through the realms back when he still sailed the seas aboard the cherished ship that was no longer his. He pulled out the shell and carefully set it in his lap, then closed the chest's lid and picked up his hook again to relock it, before finally latching his hook back in its rightful place within his brace.

When he finished, Killian finally stood again with the seashell in hand, then rushed from the room so he could make his way out into the woods where he suspected the villains were hiding out. Emma and his friends all hoped to figure out a way to separate one of their enemies from the others to try to stop them once and for all. He knew just how to do it, yet he couldn't tell Emma so because he knew Ursula would never agree to the deal he hoped to propose to her if she suspected that there was the slightest chance of the heroes betraying her. And if his plan worked, he wouldn't have to. The Sea Witch would have her happy ending that he had stolen from her, and she would willingly tell him exactly what Gold was planning. So Killian uneasily went against the promise he had made to Emma to not go anywhere near the villainess he wronged so long ago on his own, in spite of the danger awaiting for him should he fail.


	21. Chapter 21

Darkness is a Funny Thing... It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Twenty-One

Down inside one of the crypts within Regina's vault…

After she left her friends from the alley, Regina walked down to where she kept Zelena's pendant locked up within a strongbox that was now protected by magic she made sure her sister couldn't break through like she had been able to get through her protection spells conjured with blood magic in the past, then she carefully studied the green magic swirling around within the pendant's crystal once she pulled it out from the box and held it in her hands. A pendant Regina since has learned was given to Zelena by Glinda, the Good Witch of the South.

Regina started to leave the room again as she began to walk past her multitudes of potions, scrolls, and trinkets stored within the window shaped crevasses within the room's stone walls, until her eye suddenly caught on one potion in particular, then she quickly turned to the wall and pulled the bottle out while she thought on its contents. It was a potion she learned upon Cora's death, that her mother had once used to capture the Blue Fairy for a time, long enough to be able to impersonate the fairy in order to trick young Snow into using the very candle she had given to her to corrupt her heart, that wound up killing Cora years later.

The former Evil Queen pulled out the bottle's stopper and looked at the liquid inside the bottle, until she was immediately overwhelmed by the potion's sickening stench. Regina quickly sealed the bottle once again, then she took a few moments to think on whether or not she should use the potion on her sister in case she attempted to escape once they freed her from the hat, or if the magic dampening cuff would be enough to keep her from being able to do so. Regina wasn't willing to take any chances.

However, before she could make up her mind, she was interrupted as her phone buzzed upon receiving a text and when she looked at the screen to read the message she saw was from Emma, she read that they were on their way to her vault to meet up with her there instead because their plans had changed. Finally, Regina let out a sigh and returned the potion back to its space within the crevasse in the wall upon deciding against it, then she began to rummage through a number of other items within her trunks while she waited for her friends to arrive.

At last, the Savior, her parents, Robin, Tinker Bell, and Blue, who had returned with her sister to their friends so they could join with them in their efforts, all walked down the stairs leading into the Queen's vault and then entered the room where Regina was still waiting for them.

Regina spoke out first once the others arrived, as she questioned, "Okay… so why did you want to meet here, instead of at the old man's house like we discussed? I mean… it's fine of course. Did something happen?"

Emma looked at her friend while she answered, "Gold has the dagger. The reason why he locked Killian inside that car trunk was so that he could disguise himself to look like Killian in order to trick Belle into returning it to him. Which he did."

"With the dagger, Gold's even more dangerous, so we need to try to come up with a way to figure out what they're planning," Robin continued to explain. "And we think the best way of doing that, is to separate one of the villainesses from the rest, then find a way to trick her into telling us what we need to know."

"That's not actually a bad idea," Regina replied with a raise of her brows that showed her surprise in liking the idea. "The question is, which of these witches would be stupid enough to fall for any kind of plan we might conjure up? My bet would be on Cruella, but then she's survived this long. And out there in the real world no less, for who knows how long. She might not seem all that clever, but then I've underestimated her before. We all have. She and Ursula both managed to trick us into believing they actually wanted to find redemption. And we all fell for it. And because we did, Gold has returned an even bigger threat to us than ever before."

Emma let out a worried sigh, before she grumbled sternly, "Killian didn't fall for it. He tried to warn us and we didn't listen to him."

When Regina looked around the room and realized Hook wasn't among the others, she looked at Emma again as she asked, "Speaking of the one handed wonder… Where is Hook?"

"He left Gold's shop to try to clear his head," the Savior sadly responded. "After learning that not only is Gold back, but that he's also managed to steal back the one thing we had as leverage over him… It all became too much for him. Killian understood before the rest of us that we need to make finding out these villains' plans more the priority before the rest of us did. But he needed some space."

"I'm sorry," Regina remorsefully answered her with sincerity, in seeing the pained look and concern for the pirate in Emma's eyes.

And then, upon suddenly remembering something Emma had told her and David, Mary Margaret immediately turned to her daughter as she asked anxiously, "Wait a minute… didn't you tell us that Hook has a past with Ursula? What kind of past? Maybe we could use it to draw her out."

David added out of agreement, "Mary Margaret's right. Whatever happened between them, perhaps Ursula will take the chance to come after him if Hook were to appear…"

"We're not gonna use Killian as bait to lure that Sea Witch into a trap!" the Savior brusquely retorted before her father could say the word, 'vulnerable' like she knew he was thinking of, as she glared at her parents coldly for thinking about using the man she loved in such a way. "After everything he's been through… If something were to go wrong…"

"You're right," her father quickly replied to her. "You're right. It would be wrong of us to even ask him to take such a risk after everything."

Tink then responded, "It's not such a bad idea, if one of us were to disguise themselves as Hook instead. That is… if we know what sort of past Hook had with Ursula. We would have to be careful with what we said to her."

She then looked at the Savior again as she questioned, "Did Killian tell you about their past together?"

"Yes, but we don't know if she would fall for such a ruse," Emma answered with reluctance. "Even if she did… how are we supposed to draw her away from the others long enough so we can talk with her?"

"That's gonna require a little more thought, but we have the start of a good plan," the former Evil Queen replied. "Just who among us gets to play the brooding pirate?"

Charming then spoke again steadfastly saying, "I'll do it. Just put whatever magic you have to turn someone into Hook over me. It'll work. And I can take care of myself should something go wrong, but it won't."

Regina then nodded her head and turned towards the strongboxes so she could look for something that could help them again, while Emma muttered worryingly, "I still don't think this is a good idea."

"If you can come up with a better idea, then we'll do it, but for now… Emma, this is the only plan we've got and we don't have much time to waste," Mary Margaret apprehensively responded.

"You're right," her daughter finally conceded at last in agreement with everyone else ready to move forward with their plan.

Then, when Regina found what she was looking for, she turned around as she held out the six leaf clover pendant Zelena had used to disguise herself as Marian to show it to the others and stated, "Found it. This is how Charming can disguise himself to look like Hook. It's what Zelena used to appear as Marian for so long. All you have to do is think about who you want to disguise yourself as when you put it on, and you'll be all set."

David reached out to take the clover from her as he answered skeptically, "Sounds easy enough."

"Don't worry… you're gonna be just fine," the Mayor replied to him once he began to examine the stone a little more closely. "Not only will this change your look, but your voice as well. You will sound just like the pirate."

"That's not exactly what's worrying me," the Prince quickly responded. "It's my acting skills I'm more worried about. I don't know how to be a pirate. We may have known Hook for a few years now, but that doesn't mean I know how to be him. Well enough to fool Ursula?"

Regina glared at David as she retorted crossly, "Please don't ask me to try to be him? I may have been a villain like Hook was, but that doesn't mean I can be him anymore than you can. Besides… asking me to try to be Hook would be insulting. I detest the pirate's choice in clothing, and I certainly don't do rum. I believe I made that clear."

Charming was about to say something more, until all of a sudden, Archie entered the room swiftly along with Pongo at his side and then upon seeing that he had found the rest of his friends where Killian said he would, the doctor urgently said, "You're all here. Hook said I would probably find you here. I think Geppetto and Pinocchio are in danger. They're both missing. They didn't come to meet me like they were going to and it's not like Geppetto not to meet up with me, without calling to let me know he had to cancel. Killian didn't say it, but I could tell he was thinking these villains new to town might have something to do with why they're missing. He was clearly upset about something."

"Why would Gold, or the witches want to kidnap Geppetto and Pinocchio?" Blue asked out of worry for their friends.

"Gold?" Archie questioned with surprise. "You mean… he's back? How's that possible?"

Emma looked at the man of conscience nervously as she answered, "That's… a long story. You said that you spoke to Killian?"

The doctor nodded and replied, "Not more than fifteen minutes ago. In town. He looked like he was heading towards the harbor, until I interrupted him. I told him everything I just told you, and he told me to come find you either here or inside Gold's shop. Belle said you had just left and were on your way here."

"And he seemed upset with you?" the Savior more worryingly asked him. "Did he say anything else?"

"I could tell he was about to do something," Archie responded in his own concern for the man he has recently come to call friend. "When I asked him what, he said he was going to do something he should have done when Ursula first arrived in Storybrooke. Something about trying to right a wrong. But he ran off before I could get any more out of him. Is something wrong?"

Emma looked at him worryingly as she whispered fearfully, "Killian's going to confront Ursula on his own to do what we were about to do. We have to find him. We have to stop him."

David quickly asked the doctor, "Did you see which direction Hook took off in?"

"He ran into Granny's," the former cricket answered him.

"I doubt he's still there, but that's where we'll look for him first," Emma finally replied with determination, as she headed towards the stairs to leave Regina's vault, while everyone followed behind her. "From there… Tink, do you think you can find him again like you did earlier this morning?"

The Green Fairy responded from behind her friend, "Of course I can."

The Savior then stated again, "Good. Because I'm not going to let Ursula hurt him. And once he's safe, I swear I'm gonna lock his ass up for going back on his promise not to put himself in danger."


	22. Chapter 22

Darkness is a Funny Thing… It Creeps Up in You

Chapter Twenty-Two

Once again inside Gold's cabin…

It wasn't long after the Dark One and Maleficent left in search of the page August had spoken of, before Cruella and Ursula grew bored just waiting by while they stayed behind to guard their hostages. However, the dog hater discovered a strange new game on her cell phone that apparently involved angry birds, which Ursula worked out from Cruella's mutterings while she played the silly game to help pass the time. The Sea Witch on the other hand, just sat on the floor in front of the cabin's fire place while she hauntingly stared off into the flames whenever she didn't turn her head from time to time to check on August and his father to make sure that they didn't escape. Her mind was elsewhere.

However, Ursula suddenly straightened her body as she turned her head towards the windows and door upon hearing a familiar call she knew only she could hear through a sea shell somewhere out in the distance. A call she hadn't heard at all for a very long time. Not since she ran away from home when she became all powerful like the Sea Witch of old.

"If these ugly birds and pigs were real, I would have them all stuffed for making me angry," Cruella grumbled while she continued staring at her phone's screen as she played, until she raised her head to look up when Ursula rose back to her feet, then slowly made her way towards the door almost like she had fallen into a trance. "What's the matter, darling? Is something out there?"

_"It's nothing," the Sea Witch softly replied to her, then opened the door to leave. "Just gonna go stretch my tentacles."_

She was just about out the door, until she stopped a moment and popped her head back in the door, then spoke to Cruella sternly saying, "Be sure to keep your eyes on the puppet and his father."

Cruella scoffed and then without looking away from her phone once she turned back to her game, she retorted in annoyance, "Whatever you say, darling. Don't stay away too long."

August and Geppetto, still bound and once again gagged so they couldn't talk to one another, watched the Sea Witch walk out the door until she closed the door behind her upon leaving. Once she was gone, the man once made of wood turned his head to look over at his father and nodded his head to try to assure him help was on the way upon believing without a doubt that whatever, or whoever had drawn Ursula away, had done so to help them.

Somewhere deep within the woods…

At last, Killian stopped in an open clearing not far from Gold's cabin after he had run through the woods from town as fast as he could with the hope of being able to make contact with the Sea Witch so that he could help their friends and find out the villains' plans, not knowing the cabin a quarter of a mile away was where the Dark One and the Queens of Darkness were hiding out with Geppetto and his son as their hostages. Hook didn't even know the cabin existed. The cabin never came up in a conversation between him and Emma, or with anyone else.

Once he took a moment to think through what he was about to do, Killian finally raised the pink conch seashell to his lips and then blew through it to send out a call he knew only Ursula would be able to hear. He lowered the shell as he waited, while he looked all around him through the trees and brush surrounding him. When she didn't appear before him in the time he expected her to, the pirate blew through the shell once more and continued to wait.

_"__Where is that infernal creature?" he finally grumbled impatiently, when Ursula still didn't appear to him after his second attempt to make contact with her._

_ "Right here, Captain," she then answered him tauntingly from behind after she stepped out into the open, just as a number of her tentacles suddenly wrapped around him and began to crush him, causing Killian to grunt in pain while she turned him around to face her._

_ As he struggled to breathe when her tentacles only tightened around his chest and arms the closer the Sea Witch stepped towards him, Killian pleaded weakly, "Wait. I want to offer you a deal."_

_ After she became angrier upon his audacity to ask her for anything, Ursula squeezed even tighter and then she asked, "After what you did to me? I don't think so."_

_ "Gold was wrong," Killian anxiously continued, imploring her to release him. "You don't have to find the Author to get what you want."_

_ "And why should I believe a word you say?" she questioned him after she finally released him, and the pirate gasped once he was able to breathe freely._

_ When his breathing became under his control again, Killian raised his head so could look into her eyes while he responded ruefully, "Because I know what it is you desire. And I know exactly where to get it."_

_ Ursula looked at him with disbelief the moment she understood he was talking about the only thing that truly mattered to her, and she asked skeptically, "You still have it?"_

"I do," he solemnly replied. "I've always regretted stealing your voice. From the moment I stole it from you. I couldn't destroy it or simply toss it away."

"What do you know of regret?" the Sea Witch darkly asked of him, as soon as she moved in closer until she was standing only inches away from him. "Regret is something only people with a heart have the ability of feeling. And your heart… is black as coal, Hook. Do you want to see for yourself?"

Before Killian could grasp what she meant, Ursula suddenly thrust her hand into his chest in an attempt to rip out his heart just like Gold had cruelly done to him six weeks earlier, causing him to stumble back and collapse to the ground on his knees as he gasped in pain. However, she was immediately shocked by light magic and Ursula swiftly pulled her hand back while she glared down at him, while Killian merely looked back up at her with nothing but surprise on his face.

The Sea Witch spoke again angrily saying, "Well… well… It appears the Savior has placed a protection spell around your heart."

Surprised by the revelation, the pirate glanced away from her while he murmured, "I had no idea. She must have done so… while I was still recovering in the hospital."

"No matter," Ursula cruelly answered as she slowly began to circle him. "Just because she is foolish to believe you've changed at all from what you really are, it doesn't mean you have. Whatever kind of deal you want to make… you can forget it. I won't make the mistake of trusting you again."

"I can return your voice," Killian sincerely responded to her once he raised his head to look up at her, then weakly rose back to his feet when she stopped walking around him in order to look again into his eyes in search of any deception behind them. "However, I can't just do so simply to ease my conscience. We need something from you. Answers. If you truly want your voice back, you need to tell me everything I'm about to ask."

The villainess scoffed, then after she thought over his proposal and weighed the price of her finally getting back the last piece of her mother this pirate had ripped away from her, she finally replied coldly, "What answers do you want from me?"

Killian sighed with relief and then he asked somberly questioned, "A few of our friends have gone missing. Are you witches and the Crocodile responsible?"

"We have them," the villainess haughtily answered him. "We needed our own answers from the boy, who's no longer so much a boy, but the man he used to be. Unfortunately, the boy didn't know anything, so Rumplestiltskin transformed him back into August so we could interrogate him. The old man was simply our way of getting him to talk. Before you ask… he and his father are just fine."

"What answers?" he asked once again. "What could August know that Emma and the rest of us don't?"

Ursula turned her head away as she laughed at his audacity to try to get answers for nothing, then she responded coldly, "Not a chance. You get nothing else from me until you keep your word first. You might be seen as a hero by people around here, but I know better. You're gonna have to prove it."

_Killian looked her straight in her eyes as he steadfastly replied, "If I return your happy ending, you're gonna tell me exactly what Gold is doing in Storybrooke."_

"But first, you're going to take me to our friends," he quickly added on to his first demand, before she could answer. "Call it a show of faith. I swear… I won't go back on my word. We need to know what Gold is planning before it's too late, and I know you won't give the answers I need until you get what you want first. So betraying you after freeing them would hardly be beneficial, You're nothing but his puppets, just as I once was. Whether you want to believe me or not. But you don't have to be, Ursula. You can help us stop him, just like you can have your happy ending back."

_"You got yourself a deal," the Sea Witch sternly responded to him in agreement as she searched his eyes once again for deception, until she finally felt satisfied enough to begin leading the pirate to the Dark One's cabin._


End file.
